Frontier Generations: Wings
by Cyberano
Summary: While the colonies of Frontier and Galaxy form the United States of Frontier, Sheryl still has to face her own battles: pilot boot camp. SherylxRanka, some CathyxOzma.
1. Flight 101: A New Era

**Frontier Generations: Wings**

Foreword

First off, thanks to everyone who read 'To the Ends of the Galaxy'. Even though Sheryl x Ranka was the least popular pairing, I was surprised at the amount of traffic on the fic. Special thanks goes to folks who left reviews. It's always nice to hear from readers.

Anyway, Macross Frontier has such an interesting background and quirky characters. It's a shame that the series only had 25 episodes. So I decided to continue the story with a combined Macross sci-fi plot and Yuri romance. I've been asked to add more fluff, so I've changed the ratio from 70% plot/30% fluff to 60%/40%.

FG: Wings continues from the school arc in Track 5 of 'To the Ends of the Galaxy'. If you don't want to read TEG, the ultra super duper short summary is: (Sorry, the highlight trick won't work since text is always black, so replace # with spaces)

################################################### #After#many#hardships,#battles#and#teenage#angst,#Sheryl#and#Ranka#  
#resolved#their#feelings#for#each#other#and#are#dating.##They#have##  
#resumed#their#studies#at#Mihoshi#Academy#with#their#friends. ######  
##################################################

For ebook and pdf readers, please visit my website which is listed in my profile to download text and/or pdf versions of this fic

I created a forum to discuss the FG series. The Forum link is also listed in my profile. Feel free to stop by and ask questions or chat.

Without further ado, may I present Frontier Generations: Wings.

* * *

**Flight 101: A New Era**

"The Department of Ecology and Planetary Science has studied the orbit and rotation of Frontier and have concluded that we're in the middle of summer. Therefore, we'll be adjusting the school calendar to coincide with the new Frontier calendar. You have a question, Rudel?"

"Since it's summer, are we finishing the semester soon?" asked Frankie Rudel.

"I'm sorry to say that we won't be. We've lost too many school days because of the war." He held up his hand when the class groaned in unison. "Don't worry... there's enough summer to go around. Unlike Earth, Frontier has a very temperate climate so the summer season will last long enough to catch a decent break. Any other questions? Yes, Nome?"

"Why are we changing it?"

"To mark the seasons, of course. It gives farmers a reference of when to plant crops. It also indicates when the new year starts. By the way, this year is year 0. When Frontier completes its orbit, that day marks year 1."

Their homeroom teacher pressed the update button on the control panel to broadcast the new calendar.  
"When Macross Galaxy's Main Island lands three days from now, that day marks July 12, Frontier Year 0. From then on, all dates will be relative to our local year instead of the Earth year. There are some exceptions. For legal purposes, birthdays of those born prior to July 12 are still calculated via Earth calendar. For more details, see the notes in the broadcast. That's all I have to announce."

He checked his watch. "Today is combined swimming with PA class 2B. You have five minutes to get ready."

Chairs scraped and papers rustled as each student made his or her preparations. As Sheryl headed out of the classroom, a smile stole over her face. PE was one of the few classes that she and Ranka shared together.

When all the students were assembled at the pool, the swimming teacher informed them of the day's lesson. "Today, we'll focus on the breaststroke. Those of you who need a refresher, come to the lanes 0 and 1 and I'll go over it with you. Everyone else, partner up and practice."

Sheryl asked, "Which lane do you want?"

Ranka glanced at the male classmates near them and those lurking in the bushes beyond the chain link fence. Given her idol status, she should be used to the attention. However, she could not help but be annoyed whenever their eyes wandered over Sheryl's body like hungry wolves over a stray sheep. The middle lanes would be best in terms of putting distance between them but since Sheryl was not a very good swimmer, she had to compromise. "Lane 8. I don't want you crashing into the wall again."

The Galaxy Fairy's lips molded into a pout. "I haven't done that in a while! We can swim in lane 9 if you want."

Ranka took her hand. "I also don't want anyone 'accidentally' falling in when you're nearby. C'mon, let's claim a spot. You guys coming?"

"Lead the way!" replied Nanase brightly.

They selected a spot near the pool's edge and began practicing. Luca and Nanase paired up while Ai went with Alto. Brera was excused from swimming due to his cybernetic body and studied in the music room instead.

Since Ranka had learned the breaststroke at her previous school and Alto was a pretty good swimmer, they corrected Sheryl, Ai, Nanase and Luca. Time passed quickly and the instructor blew the whistle, which signaled the end of the lesson.

"You go ahead," said Ranka. "I'll practice by myself for a bit."

"Ok," replied Sheryl. She climbed out of the pool and wrapped herself in a towel. While the rest of the girls went to shower, she watched Ranka's lithe form slice through the water. During the filming of Bird Human, she took to the water like a fish in the sea. After filming, Ranka often swam for a few minutes to relax. During those times, Sheryl would watch her secretly as she floated on her back with eyes closed as if in meditation. Just looking at that serene face brought a similar feeling of peace to her heart. Sometimes, she wished that she could go out there and float with Ranka. However, she wanted to remain neutral so that no one could accuse her of trying to advance Ranka's career.

When Ranka did her seventh lap out of her customary ten, Sheryl headed for the locker room. She took the shower pouch and towel from her locker and selected one of the corner shower stalls.

After the tenth lap was done, Ranka climbed out of the pool. Most of their classmates were already making their way to their next class. Ranka hurried into the girls' locker room to shower. A quick shampoo and rinse later, she toweled dry, wrapped the towel around herself and got out the shower. She walked to her locker and opened it. Just then, arms trapped her waist and a familiar voice whispered in her ear.

"Gotcha..." A warm tongue licked her earlobe.

Ranka shuddered at the sensation. Panicking, she threw her thoughts into Sheryl's mind. "Sh---Sheryl...! They'll see us!"

"No one else is here... I checked." This time, supple lips wandered over Ranka's glistening neck. Hands rose to her chest.

"Aahhh... why do you always do this?" asked Ranka between gasps.

"It's your fault," accused Sheryl. "You know I can't resist a freshly bathed Ranka, and yet you insist on showering after everyone else is gone." She held the younger girl closer and marveled at how her petite frame fit so nicely against her own.

Ranka's face flushed and she did not argue. Instead, she turned in place and wrapped her arms around Sheryl's neck. Then she captured her lips for a deep kiss. While she got her attention, her left leg slowly positioned itself between Sheryl's. Her hand slid down the Galaxy Fairy's shoulder and over the arm to rest on the hip. In a coordinated motion, her hand lifted the towel slightly while her thigh rose to the junction of Sheryl's legs. As her thigh slid against her, Ranka smirked when a surprised gasp escaped from the Fairy's lips.

The door to the locker room opened and they immediately separated. Nanase's voice echoed across the room. "If anyone's still here, Mrs. Kaviroff says to hurry up!"

Sheryl stole a quick kiss as she hurried to her locker. "You naughty girl..." came her parting words.

"And who started it?" whispered Ranka. When Sheryl disappeared around the corner, Ranka drew a finger over the slick moisture coating her thigh. Then that finger slipped into her mouth and tickled her tongue with that luscious taste. Reluctantly, she withdrew the finger and controlled herself. If she had any more, she would not be able to pay attention in class. With renewed focus, her hand reached into the locker for her uniform.

When they were ready, they found Ai, Nanase and Luca waiting for them outside the pool's gates. Alto had already gone ahead. Nanase grabbed Ranka's hand and started walking. "You gotta watch your time. Let's go before we get detention."

"Sorry..." responded Ranka contritely as she was dragged along. She turned and yelled over her shoulder. "See you later, Sheryl! Luca!"

Sheryl and Luca waved back. "Later!" Then Luca checked his watch. "Yikes! We better hurry too! Do you mind if we run?"

"No, not at all! Let's go!" Together, they raced back to class.

* * *

After school, Hope, Sheryl and Luca waited near the gate for Nanase, Ranka, Ai and Brera. While they were waiting, Luca's butler walked over with a dog on a leash. A wide grin brightened Luca's face and he knelt down with arms open.

"Titus! Here, boy!"

The dog leapt forward and licked his master's cheek. Luca laughed and hugged him lightly. He removed Titus' leash and turned to Sheryl. "Sheryl, this is Titus. I got him six months ago as a puppy. He's unusually shy around lots of people, so I've been training him to get used to it. This is the first time I'm taking him out."

Sheryl patted his black and white head. "He's a nice dog... what soft fur! So what kind of training did you do?"

"The basics... as well as some hunting skills."

"Hunting?"

Luca nodded. "He's a Munsterlander, a good breed for tracking and retrieving game. For example..." He removed his watch and handed it to Sheryl. "Please hold this while we walk over there."

Sheryl complied. Luca and Titus walked about 30 feet away. Then he let Titus sniff his hand before saying, "Titus, go find!"

Tail wagging, Titus trotted toward Sheryl. When he was about a foot away, he stood stiffly, lifted his right leg and pointed his muzzle towards the watch.

Luca walked over and patted him. "Good boy!"

"Wow! Can I try?" asked Sheryl.

"Sure! Just give me something that belongs to you."

Sheryl removed her beret. "How about this?"

"That's fine," said Luca as he accepted the beret. "I'll walk over by the tree. When I get there, just let him sniff your hand and say, 'Titus, go find'."

"Ok."

Luca jogged over to the tree and crouched with Sheryl's beret before him. He watched as Titus smelled Sheryl's hand and trotted towards him. He grinned expectantly as the dog drew near.

"Hey, Luca!" called Nanase.

Luca turned to his left towards that heavenly voice and waved. "Nanase! Ranka! Ai-chan!" Then he resumed his original position to praise Titus, who surprisingly, was not there.

"Umm... whose dog is this?" exclaimed Ranka with unmistakable apprehension.

Luca's eyes widened when he saw Titus in the signature hunting stance, pointing his muzzle towards the left side of Ranka's skirt. He shouted, "Titus! Heel!"

Titus' tail drooped down and sad eyes stared at his master. Luca realized that Titus expected to be praised but instead, he was treated as if he made a mistake. Luca walked over quickly and tried to recover by patting him as a means of positive reinforcement. "Good boy!"

"What's going on?" asked Nanase.

"Er... I was just showing Sheryl some of Titus' hunting skills."

"Titus was supposed to find my beret," explained Sheryl who just walked over.

"Really?" asked Ranka.

"Let's try again." Sheryl let Titus sniff her hand. "Titus, go find."

The dog wagged his tail and pointed in Ranka's direction. Meanwhile, Luca's quick mind was already connecting a handful of assumptions and inferences. "Dogs tend to track a stronger scent than a weak one. So, does that mean Ranka has something that belongs to Sheryl? Maybe she has a towel with her sweat? But wait... we had swimming. Unless..." Then he remembered waiting for them to come out of the locker room. His imagination presented many scenarios and his ears burned at his thoughts. Suddenly, he felt a jab on his lower back.

"Whatever you're thinking, stop it right now," whispered Nanase hurriedly. She knew that Luca subscribed to some of the naughty series that were published by the manga club. Because of this, she did not believe that the perpetual blush on his boyish cheeks was due to pure, cherubic thoughts. Judging by his ears, his thoughts were far from innocent.

Luca gulped and returned Sheryl's beret while he patted Titus. "It looks like he needs more training."

"But he did a good job finding your watch," added Sheryl.

"Like I said, he's still shy around people, so maybe he got confused," explained Luca. "Anyway, Nanase and I are taking him on a walk around Golden Gate Park. Do you want to come?"

Sheryl shook her head. "Cathy is picking me up for a meeting. She'll be here in about ten minutes or so."

"I'm waiting for onii-chan, so I'll stay here with Sheryl," said Ranka.

"Well then, have a good weekend!" said Nanase who hooked her arm with Luca's.

"You too, Nana-chan!" replied Ranka.

"Have a good weekend!" said Sheryl.

With that, Luca, Nanase and Titus left with the butler. Sheryl and Ranka selected a nearby bench and sat shoulder to shoulder. Meanwhile, Ai and Hope were flying around the treetops.

Sheryl's voice echoed in Ranka's mind. "If we weren't in public, you'd be sitting on my lap."

"No, I won't," argued Ranka. "You'd be sitting on mine." Although she heard Sheryl's giggle in her mind, Sheryl still lifted her hand to her mouth and her shoulders shook a bit.

"Now that would be quite a sight... I'm much taller and heavier than you."

"Not a problem in zero gravity." A seductive smile stole over her lips.

"It's a date then?"

"Of course."

"When?"

"Tomorrow, at 2 PM. Meet me at Nanase's house."

"Don't be late."

While they waited, they planned the details of their date silently. Brera was the first to show up on his motorcycle.

"Are you ready?" asked Brera as he handed the spare helmet to Ranka.

"Is it okay if we waited until Cathy comes?"

"Ok."

They engaged in pleasant conversation about school until they saw Cathy's limousine turn at the nearest intersection. After Ranka and Brera said their farewells and rode off, Sheryl walked to the curb. The limousine stopped before her. Cathy opened the door.

"How are you?" greeted Cathy.

"I'm fine. And you?" As soon as she closed the door, they drove off. Silently, Sheryl asked Hope to follow them.

Cathy sighed. "Could be better. Anyway, I've received word from your relatives. They're happy to take you in."

"But they're on Earth."

"Yes, which is why I made my suggestion. Of course, you are welcome to select any other foster family to stay with until you're 20."

"What about Alto? He lived in his own apartment."

"Cosigned by his brother Yasaburo who's over 20. He also paid for Alto's living expenses until Alto started working for SMS. There are exceptions among young celebrities like you. Money isn't a problem for you so you can get your own place easily, but I think that you don't like being alone. Am I wrong?"

Sheryl opened her mouth to protest, but closed it.

"I didn't invite you to stay with me at first because I didn't want to intrude on your privacy. But ever since school started, you've invited Pvt. Porter or Lt. Maxwell to dinner and karaoke almost every night."

Cathy took out a sheaf of paper from her briefcase. "I'm your temporary guardian for now, but I don't mind being your official one. My family's estate is well guarded and you'll have your own room and maid. There'll always be someone around."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Hmmm... good question, especially since you were such a spoiled brat when we first we met." Cathy looked at her directly but Sheryl did not meet her gaze. Instead, her hands gripped the edge of her school bag tightly.

Cathy continued, "Who in her right mind would invite a child like that into her home? If I only knew that about you, I certainly wouldn't." She leaned back and steepled her fingers.

"But the Sheryl with me isn't the Sheryl then. You've changed. Ever since your farewell concert, you slowly began to change. As a teen idol, it's easy to think that world revolved around you, so you were used to people taking care of you. How do I know this? Because I used to be one."

"Over these past several months, you cared for someone, you did things for that person without any benefit to you and you took care of an injured girl. I can only guess that something changed your perspective in life. You no longer expected only to receive and you learned how to give."

Cathy extended her hand. "We had a rocky start. So let bygones be bygones and let's start over. Besides, I'm an orphan. You're an orphan. Let me welcome you into my home."

"My case is different," replied Sheryl coldly.

"I won't pretend that I suffered what you suffered, but the feeling of loss is the same. When my father was killed, I felt like I'd lost my anchor in this world. I think I understand how you feel. I can't be a mother, but I can be an older sister. I want you to know that if you need someone to talk to about anything, I'll hear you out."

When Sheryl remained silent, she added, "And as family, your friends are welcome to visit. As long as you don't make a ruckus, your friends can stay over, even overnight."

Sheryl sat up slightly, but she maintained her composure and shook Cathy's hand. "In that case, I'll be in your care. Thank you."

Cathy smiled smugly and handed her a pen. She had a good idea which friend Sheryl had in mind. "You're welcome. Here's the final paperwork. Sign at the highlighted blanks."

After the papers were signed, Cathy activated her digipad. "Now that's done, let's review your finances... you have 169,143 credits in the bank. Do you know why that is?"

"Well... I did spend some on jewelry..."

"Yes, I see that, but it doesn't account for the disparity between your earnings and savings. I had my aide run some earning estimates from your concerts and royalties. You made several million over the last two years. Where is it?"

Sheryl's forehead creased in concentration and she lifted her hand to her mouth. "Ummm... Grace once said that my treatments and medicine were expensive."

Cathy's fingers danced over the digipad and flipped it over to show Sheryl. "Dr. Zore found your medical records. I asked him to estimate your medical expenses and the total was around 300,000 credits."

Her eyes glanced over the numbers. "I... I don't know where it went... Grace handled my finances."

"And therein lies the problem," concluded Cathy. "With a little digging, the Galaxy investigators found out that Grace bought a lot of products from cybernetics and bioengineering companies. I hate to say this, but I think she embezzled you. There's little we can do about it now, but at least, we can take steps to prevent this from happening again."

"How?"

"You'll have to learn to handle your own finances. First off, I'm moving most of your cash to another account."

"But... what if I need it?" asked Sheryl in alarm.

"You can't rely on making millions every year. You have to learn how to save in case of an emergency. Besides, I'm not taking your money. I'm moving it to a high interest college fund. You are planning on going to college, right?"

"Well... yes..."

"Good. I'm leaving 1000 credits so you have a bit of spending money to decorate your room. Every week, 100 credits will be transferred for your allowance. Beyond that, let me know when you need tuition and school supplies."

Sheryl felt like she was being treated like a child. "You don't have to do this! I can handle it!"

"Do you want to be fooled again?"

"No!"

"Then watch your money. When you have so little, you're going to care a lot more."

She still fumed at Cathy's interference, but she did have a point. In the past, she bought anything that she wanted and assumed that Grace would take care of it.

"Besides," continued Cathy. "You're going to college in a couple of years, so you need to learn to be independent, especially if you live in the dorms. So if you have spare time during the weekends, ask Erenmeyer to teach you how to drive." She gestured towards their driver.

Her eyes went round. "Drive?"

Cathy nodded. "Even if you can hire your own driver, it's useful to know how to drive. Once you get your license, you can buy your own car."

Sheryl leaned back into the seat. Before she stepped into this car, all she had in mind for the future was trying to graduate from Mihoshi. But now, Cathy gave her more things to think about.

The car stopped in front of her hotel. Cathy opened the door. "We're here. Erenmeyer will schedule the movers to pick up your stuff tomorrow, so show him what's packed and what isn't."

They went up to Sheryl's suite. Erenmeyer made notes while Sheryl showed him her belongings. Meanwhile, Cathy sat at the dining table and was going through some paperwork.

After Sheryl showed him the last drawer of clothes, he asked, "With your permission, several maids will pack your belongings tomorrow."

If the maids would do it for her, then she could go on her date without any worries. "That's fine. Thank you."

"In that case, please pack enough for two days."

"Alright. Give me a few minutes."

He bowed slightly and went to Cathy. As he asked what she wanted for dinner, Sheryl found an empty suitcase and began to pack. When she was done, she walked over to Cathy with the suitcase in tow.

"I'm ready."

Cathy stood up and swept her work into the briefcase on the table. She smiled warmly. "Let's go home."

* * *

The Glass estate was located in a gated community. As they drove over to the mansion, they passed by manicured lawns and small gardens. In the distance, Sheryl noticed a uniformed guard patrolling near the stylish iron fence.

Victorian architecture defined the mansion and its interior. Sheryl followed Cathy to the door while the butler carried her luggage. At their entrance, a maid greeted them.

"Welcome home, ma'am, miss."

"I'm home," responded Cathy. When Sheryl did not reply, she looked at her sharply.

"Erm... I'm home." The words felt unfamiliar on her tongue, but when Cathy nodded as if in approval, she felt more at ease.

"Sheryl, this is Murine, the head maid. Murine, this is Sheryl. She'll be living here from now on."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Miss." She gestured towards an approaching maid. "This is Soffie. She will be your personal maid. If there's anything you need, please let her know."

Soffie bowed slightly. "It's nice to meet you, Miss. Allow me to show you to your room."

Sheryl followed them up the stairs. When they reached the top, Cathy stopped.

"I'll see you at dinner," said Cathy. Then she turned to the left corridor.

"Please follow me," said Soffie who turned to the right.

They went into the third room from the stairs. The room was nicely furnished with some antique furniture. Soffie pulled a cord and revealed the door to the balcony. "Ma'am said that you may use this to bring in your pet."

Currently, Hope was perched on the mansion's roof. Sheryl smiled gratefully at Cathy's thoughtfulness. "Please thank her for me."

Then Soffie showed her where to find various linen and bath accessories. After that, she gave her a quick tour of the mansion.

"If miss needs anything, just press the intercom in any room." She pointed to the recessed unit on the wall by the door. "Is there anything you need, miss?"

"Hmm... not right now."

"Then I shall go and help with dinner." Soffie bowed slightly and left.

When she was gone, Sheryl went to the balcony and slid the glass door. Hope flew down from the roof and landed next to her. As Sheryl patted her green carapace, she suddenly remembered something. "I'm sorry... I forgot to bring your bed. It'll be here tomorrow."

Hope chirped and crawled to her bed. Sheryl laughed and flopped down. "You're bigger now! I need more room."

Hope made a series of low chirps and sat on a corner of the bed. Ranka gave Hope Ai's old pet bed. Sheryl sighed. It was her fault for forgetting. She could share the bed for one night. Hope was one spoiled Vajra.

As she lay on the bed, her thoughts went back to the conversation with Cathy. She lifted her hand and stared at it. Did she really change that much?

During her farewell concert, the Frontier fleet was trying to save the Macross Galaxy survivors. Macross Galaxy was the closest thing that she could call home. As she stood on stage, she could not help but wonder what would happen if it were destroyed. Suddenly, the stage felt so big and a terrible feeling of loneliness filled her heart so much that she shivered involuntarily. The stage morphed into Galaxy's wide empty streets where she once wandered aimlessly as an orphan. Tears fell from her eyes and a cry for help lodged in her throat while she denied the feelings in heart.

When she was about to surrender to despair, that clear, pure voice resonated in her ears. "Sheryl!"

Despite the crowd and the darkness, sky blue eyes locked on to red-orange. The space between them seemed to fold and Sheryl spoke to Ranka as if she was standing right in front of her. Even though she addressed everyone, she uttered the words that were both a statement and a plea to the one who mattered most.

"I want you... to sing with me."

And sing they did. Despite the chorus of other voices, Ranka's song echoed across the distance and those beautiful notes calmed her worried heart.

"Could it be... that you changed me?" She clasped her hands to her heart and closed her eyes. The image of Ranka standing among the audience burned brightly in her mind. "That day... was our second duet."

"Let's sit over there," came Cathy's voice from beyond the balcony.

Sheryl sat up and went to the balcony. In the garden below, Cathy was walking down the pebble path. Her eyes widened when she saw her companion and she hid behind the curtains. What was Ozma doing here? Did he come to talk to her about Ranka? She watched as they sat down at a table under a gazebo. A few moments later, Murine walked down the path and served them coffee.

"Hope... I need your help..."

Hope's antennas lifted in curiosity. Sheryl instructed her to leave stealthily and to hide in the bushes near the gazebo. Hope obeyed and when she was in place, Sheryl opened her mind.

"...do you think?" asked Cathy.

"It's about time. He's been passed up 'cause he won't play nice with politics. He's his own man."

"Which is exactly what I need. I don't want someone who'll blindly follow orders."

"Did you talk to him already?"

"Yes," nodded Cathy. "Grand Admiral Misamoto Hayase will be here in a week. I'll run the paperwork and ask Admiral Hayase to make it official. Earth senators will also be here to go over the new constitution for the united colonies of Frontier and Galaxy. If all goes well, he'll need to train his replacement on the Quarter."

"Oh, no... don't look at me like that."

"Why not? You're the most experienced senior officer. Isn't that the normal career track for a squadron commander?"

"I'm not ready to leave the sky yet."

"Are you sure? You get a lot of perks as captain. There's a salary increase and housing allocation..."

"In return for being chained to a boat? No, thanks."

"I thought I'd try anyway," sighed Cathy.

Ozma whistled. "Rear-Admiral Wilder. It's got a nice ring to it."

She handed him the digipad. "What do you know about his second choice: Commandant Khellen Klein?"

Ozma picked up the digipad. "Her? She's famous among the meltrandi. Tough gal. Strict. Klan is a pretty good ace, but her mom's way better."

"I'm thinking of having Wilder take command of Battle Frontier and the first battalion. Khellen will command the Quarter and the second battalion."

"She'll work out. I hear she takes care of her people."

She reached over and pressed the digipad. "There's a few more personnel changes on the Quarter."

"Huh... Lange's serving under Wilder... no surprise there... What the? Margot as XO?!"

With a hand over her mouth, Cathy stifled her laughter. "Wilder said that he was interested in command. So I figure, I'll invoke the probationary duties clause and have him try. If his performance falls short, he can go back to the helm."

Ozma chuckled. "Can't wait to see Khellen's face..." His eyes returned to the digipad. "So Klan's going to take her mother's place as commandant?"

"Didn't she tell you?"

"She told me that she's leaving active duty until she gives birth to Blanc's baby."

"Blanc? Not Rora?" exclaimed Cathy in surprise.

He leaned back into the padded chair and sipped coffee. "Seems that Blanc saved his DNA a month before the battle and willed it to her if he died. That's why she went to the cloning facility." He chuckled. "That Blanc... even when he's gone, he still got his girl. But besides that, she might have a tough time training the meltran recruits. She ain't much older than them."

"They'll change their mind when they see her skill."

He stared at the digipad. "So Rora's serving with Klan... figures... Damn, I'm gonna have to build up another meltran squad. Wait a minute... who's at the helm?"

"I was hoping you could make some recommendations."

"I'll hold a test and get back to you."

"Thanks. Let me know as soon as possible. By the way, would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Nah, Ranka's making me somethin'. She's been cooking all sorts of food since she joined some cooking club." Ozma checked his watch and stood up. "In fact, I gotta get goin'. She doesn't like it when I'm late."

Cathy stood up as well. "I see. Maybe tomorrow?"

Ozma started walking down the path followed by Cathy. "Yeah, sounds good. Ranka's goin' to visit Nanase."

Sheryl left Hope's mind. She just heard some really interesting news. If Cathy and Ozma would be going out tomorrow, she and Ranka might get extra time for their date. When Hope confirmed that Cathy and Ozma were out of sight, she asked Hope to return. After she flew in, Sheryl closed the balcony door and began to unpack her suitcase while humming the song 'Your Sound'. She could barely wait for tomorrow to come.

About 30 minutes later, Soffie knocked on her door. "Miss, dinner is ready."

"Thank you. I'll be right over."

Dinner was chicken Marsala and saut ed vegetables. While they ate, Cathy talked to her about the Macross Galaxy preparations. Since Galaxy's main island was landing in the western ocean, they had to be prepared for the subsequent tsunami. For the past two weeks, she, Ranka and Ai assisted the naval engineers in building a temporary reef to absorb the tsunami's force.

"Once again, thank you for helping out. It would've taken twice as long without all of you," said Cathy.

"We're glad to help. After all, the colonies and the Vajra will be living in the same world."

"It will certainly show the public that Vajra are good neighbors. Anyway, how's school?"

"I'm keeping up with the theoretical classes, but I'm still not used to the physical stuff. I'm just hoping I can survive boot camp."

"Is it next week?"

"No, it's the week after. They're just holding written exams next week."

"I know some good tutors in math and science, so if you need help there, ask Erenmeyer to hire them. I've also gone through military training, and I'll be happy to share my experience with you."

Sheryl sat up slightly. If she could get an idea of what to expect, maybe she could prepare for it. "The instructor said that it's a combination of survival training and aerial combat maneuvers."

"Survival training, huh? It's probably going to include a long hike. Did they give you any details?"

She shook her head slightly. "No."

"They'll probably tell you at the last minute. For now, expect a hike. Here are my suggestions..."

Sheryl listened attentively. By the time dinner was done, her worries about boot camp were lessened. She thanked Cathy and bid her good night before going to her room where she spent a few hours writing up notes about their conversation and doing some research. As she reviewed their conversation in her mind, she wondered, "Is this what it's like to have an older sister?"

It certainly was a relief to have someone to talk to about her worries. Cathy listened patiently and offered advice that she would not have thought of on her own. A smile stole onto her lips. Although she was a bit imposing and bossy, Shery felt that she did not mind having Cathy as an older sister of sorts. With that in mind, she worked on the notes diligently. When she was satisfied, she prepared for bed and went to sleep.

* * *

The next day, Sheryl arrived at Nanase's house and found that Ranka was already there. Hope immediately waddled over to Ai's side.

"Thanks for watching over them. We owe you one," said Ranka.

"Oh, stop that! In fact, I don't know what you're talking about. Now, go on... have fun!" Nanase shooed them out the door.

Ranka looked around. "So... where's Lisa?"

"I didn't ask her to come. I hope you don't mind... but can we go there by bus?"

"Sure! I don't mind."

Sheryl pulled out a map with several highlighted lines. "These are the transit routes."

Ranka examined the map. "Let's see... we take #38 Geary and get off at Market. Then we transfer to #2 Shibuya-Market. After that, we get off at Shibuya station and catch the #9 Yamanote. Then it's just one stop to Harajuku." She adjusted her baseball cap and shades before holding Sheryl's hand. "We can catch the bus at the next corner."

They walked to the bus stop with the FUNI symbol at the street corner. A few minutes later, a long bus stopped. The words 'Frontier Municipal Transit' were painted on its side. The bus was made up of a primary cab and a smaller secondary cab, which was connected, to the primary by an adjustable platform. Instead of metal hinges, a flexible accordion-like rubber shell surrounded the platform. It reminded Sheryl of a mechanical caterpillar. They boarded the bus and Ranka paid their fare. She handed her a ticket, which displayed the date and time.

"A ticket can be used on two buses, so we can use this to transfer at Market. Keep it, ok?" said Ranka as they took their seats.

"Do you take the bus a lot?"

"Not as much anymore. Onii-chan's here, so he drives me around. But I used to take it to school everyday."

"I see."

"Why did you want to take the bus now?"

Sheryl smiled sheepishly. "I guess... I want to be more independent and to get out more. Grace kept me so busy that I really don't know how the world works out here. I want to know what life is like beyond the stage."

Ranka smiled and squeezed her hand. "In that case, let's find out together."

A warm glow filled Sheryl's heart as she gazed upon that adorable smile that was only meant for her. With Ranka as her guide, she wondered what they would discover together.

They got off at Market Street. Ranka led her to the cable car. Sheryl's hand gripped the brass bar as she sat down on the wooden seats which faced the center of the car instead of the front. Compared to the modern bus, she felt like a time traveler. The cable car jolted to a start as the driver pulled on a long lever that protruded from the floor. The sound of metal against metal clanked from below. Although she had ridden the cable car with Alto, she was more focused on sight-seeing rather than learning about the transit system.

"Why are they still using this?" asked Sheryl.

"Hmmm... I guess it's kinda nostalgic. This was used in San Francisco, which was one of the model cities for the colony. This particular car survived the zentraedi attack on Earth. Maybe it's a way of saving the past and reminding people about Earth?"

"Since you put it that way, it is kinda cool."

"Hold on. We're going down."

Sheryl craned her neck towards the front of the car and her eyes widened. The car was about to go downhill, and it was very, very steep. Seconds later, the car tilted and the driver applied the brakes. Since she was closer to the front of the car, the descent caused Ranka to slip down the seat and press against her. Her hands gripped the nearest brass bar and her shoulders cringed unconciously as metal brakes screeched against the rails.

Ranka's arm slipped around her shoulders. "Don't worry. They installed a backup modern brake system just in case the rail brakes don't work."

"That's good to know," said Sheryl with relief as she took the opportunity to lean against her. A slight blush crept onto Ranka's cheeks. The other passengers stared at them in curiosity, but Sheryl was too distracted by Ranka's soft, warm body to notice.

The cable car trip took much longer since the route went over several hills. Finally, they reached Shibuya station. Ranka led her downstairs and they bought tickets for the Yamanote line. Once again, Sheryl felt like she traveled in time as a high-speed train stopped in front of them. They boarded the train and took their seats. The doors closed with a soft whoosh and it accelerated so smoothly that she barely felt it.

Ranka pointed to a display. "That red dot shows where we are. Those arrows show the train direction. So if the arrows are pointing in the wrong direction of where you want to go, get off and take the train on the opposite platform."

As buildings whizzed by, Sheryl wondered how fast they were going. She got a clue when they passed a highway with a speed limit of 100 kmh and the train seemed to be moving faster than the cars.

A short six minutes later, a computerized female voice announced, "The next stop is Harajuku. The next stop is Harajuku."

They got out of the station and climbed the stairs to street level. Sheryl was surprised to a see a lot of teenagers dressed in various outfits. Some wore colorful ones while others wore black but heavily decorated with lace. A young man walked by with a tomahawk hairstyle and a multitude of piercings. At the park across the station, a group of teenage boys spun on their backs as loud punk music played.

"Harajuku is famous for its unique sense of fashion," explained Ranka. "This part of the colony is modeled after Tokyo, and Harajuku is one of its wards."

"It's pretty unique all right," remarked Sheryl. Her hand dug into her purse and extracted directions to My Maiden's Secret. She showed the map to Ranka. "It's here."

"Hmm... looks like we go this way."

They walked several blocks and found the store.

"It's a lingerie shop?!" exclaimed Ranka.

"Not just any lingerie shop," said Sheryl who opened the door. They walked into a garden of colorful fabrics and delicate silks. "It has a great selection of specialty lingerie and is very popular at Macross Galaxy. I was really surprised to find a branch here."

"Welcome," greeted a brown haired meltran with intense red eyes. "May I help you?"

"Yes," replied Sheryl. "My friend is looking for a bra."

"Sheryl!" Ranka's voice echoed in her mind. "I thought you needed one!"

"I do, but we might as well get you one too," replied Sheryl silently.

"I... I don't need any! I already have a lot!" protested Ranka.

"What's your size?" asked the clerk as she walked around the counter. A measuring tape dangled from her hand.

"Ummm... 38A..." said Ranka, blushing slightly.

"Actually, she's almost a 30B."

Once again, Ranka's protests rang through Sheryl's mind. Meanwhile, the clerk raised an eyebrow as her eyes flitted between them. Then she held out the measuring tape before Ranka.

"If you want, I can check your size."

Curious, Ranka raised her arms and allowed the clerk to measure her.

"Hmmm... a 30B might be better for you. We carry a brand that has adjustable wire and straps. You can customize it for your size now and adjust it later when you've grown into it."

"Does it have a front closure design?"

Once again, the clerk's eyebrow twitched. "Yes, we also carry those. Come this way, please."

They followed the clerk to a clothes rack. The clerk picked a daring design with thin fabric and red lace. "Is this too early for her?"

"Hmm... no, that's fine..." At that instant, an embarrassed Ranka elbowed her in the ribs. Sheryl winced. "Ah... but maybe something more conservative would be better... pastels would be nice..."

The clerk gestured to another rack. "How about the Petite Purity brand? It's specifically designed for younger maidens... moderately cut, but with a sense of adventure."

Sheryl grinned wolfishly. "Perfect."

Meanwhile, an irritated Ranka fumed silently. "Why is she asking her opinion instead of me? I'm the one who's going to be wearing it!" Then a thought dawned on her and she looked at the clerk in horror. "Oh no! Did she figure out our relationship...? Then she wants to know what Sheryl wants me wear?!"

While they were making their selections, the door opened to admit a young girl with brown hair and green eyes. A young woman with green eyes and midnight blue hair held the door as the girl walked in with a box in her small hands.

"Mama! Mama! Look what I can do!"

The clerk knelt down and kissed her forehead. "That's nice, Shizuki. Now go help your Mom unpack the boxes in the back."

"Ok," replied the girl cheerfully.

As they passed by, Sheryl noticed the logo on one of the boxes carried by the young woman. "Is that Applause lingerie?"

A sly smile formed on the clerk's lips. "Ah, you know your lingerie well. Yes, it is. We just got a fresh batch from Macross Galaxy."

"May we see?"

"Of course," said the clerk as she took the box from the blue haired woman. She went to the counter and emptied the box on it. "Is there anything specific you want?"

"Well... underwear for me and for her. And also a bra for me... 34D."

"Let me measure both of you for your waist size then we can separate the ones that will fit you."

After the measurements were done, the clerk picked out the ones that would fit them. "Feel free to look at these while I put the others away." With a sweep of her hand, she scooped up the rest of the lingerie into the box and brought them to the back room.

Sheryl selected a matching pair of purple and black bra and underwear for herself. For Ranka, she picked out light green underwear with a white lace and small, red ribbon in front. "This one should go well with your bra."

Ranka looked at her suspiciously. "Sheryl... what are you up to?"

She winked in reply. "It's a secret."

The clerk came back after assisting another customer. "Have you made your selections?"

"Yes. We'd like to get these please." Sheryl offered her card.

"Are you going to be shopping in the area?"

"Yes, for a while."

"For a small fee, we can wash your lingerie while you shop. It will be ready to wear once you're done shopping."

The wheels in Sheryl's head were turning and she licked her lips. "How much?"

"Only 10 credits."

Ranka's voice protested in her mind. "That's a lot! If we stop by my house, I can put them in the washer..."

"Ok."

The clerk smiled and rang up the total. "What kind of scent would you like?"

"Scent?"

The clerk showed her an illustrated list. "We can add a complimentary scent during drying. These are the choices."

Sheryl searched the list. "Hmmm... How about lily?"

"Subtle, yet alluring... a good choice. Please return in an hour."

As they exited the store, Sheryl asked, "Is it ok if we picked up some hiking shoes before going to the spa?"

"Sure, but why do you need them?"

"Just in case it's required for boot camp. I want to break them in ahead of time." She showed Ranka the map. "This is the closest shoe store."

"Oh, it's not that far. Let's see... we go... this way," said Ranka as she took Sheryl's hand.

They found the store easily and fifteen minutes later, Sheryl bought a pair of hiking shoes. Then they walked to the spa.

"Sheryl... how did you know my bra size?" asked Ranka.

"I checked yesterday," winked Sheryl in response.

For a few moments, Ranka wondered when she did it. Then she remembered where Sheryl's hands were in the locker room. She colored visibly and squeezed her hand harder, causing Sheryl to wince at the pressure. "That's for doing sneaky things!"

"Oh, don't get mad! You got a new bra out of it!"

"Hmph!" Ranka looked away and pretended to pout. Her reaction only caused Sheryl to giggle. At the sound of her twinkling laugh, her irritation slowly faded.

When they arrived at the spa, they each ordered a massage, a body scrub and a facial. After their treatments, they lounged lazily in the spa's indoor onsen.

"Aaah... this feels good..." said Sheryl as she leaned her head on a towel-covered rock. She closed her eyes.

Ranka scooted closer to her and intertwined their fingers before leaning her head on Sheryl's shoulder. In response, Sheryl put her arm around her and cuddled closer. Time seemed to stop for them as they basked in each other's presence, acutely conscious of each other's body even through the hot water. The onsen was silent except for the splashing of water from the fountain and the occasional bamboo beat from the shishi odoshi. They rested in that position until the timer clicked audibly.

Sheryl sighed. "Looks like we have to get out."

"Just when it was getting comfortable..." said Ranka sadly.

She chanced a peck on her forehead. "Don't worry... we can cuddle more later."

A slow leer formed on Ranka's face and mischief danced in her eyes. She projected her thoughts. "I hope to do more than just cuddle."

"Really...? I guess you'll just have to show me what you have in mind..."

Sheryl waited for Ranka to stand up first. Her eyes followed the rivulets of water that streamed down from her shoulders, to the small of her back, over her buttocks and between the inside of her thighs. The steam from the onsen added an ethereal effect and the scene reminded Sheryl of a water nymph rising from an enchanted pond.

"What's wrong?" asked Ranka as she took as step towards the exit.

"You're really filling out nicely. I can't wait to see you all grown up."

Ranka lowered her eyes as she adjusted her towel. "Sorry... I must look childish..."

She leaned forward like a panther studying its prey. "It's fine. I like this part of you too."

Her blush was visible even through her flushed skin. "I'm going to shower now."

She opened her mind. "Shall I join you?"

"Sheryl!"

She laughed at her reaction. "Go ahead... I'll shower in the next stall."

After leaving the spa, they picked up their lingerie. Then they headed back to Nanase's house.

"Back already?" asked Nanase as she let them in.

"Just stopping by. Did Ozma-nii call?" asked Ranka.

"No."

Sheryl picked up their luggage. "We're going out again. We'll be back in an hour or two."

They left Nanase's house and went to the woods near Mihoshi Academy. When they had walked far enough from the main road, they summoned a Vajra to take them to the Queen's Crater. By agreement with the Frontier government, the Vajra territories were composed of land 100 miles from the crater, the ocean with depths of 50 miles or more and airspace 20 miles from the crystalline ring that surrounded the planet. Any human or zentran entering these territories must have permission from the Vajra queen who happened to be Ai. Of course, Ranka and Sheryl had her permission and were allowed to pass by the Vajra patrols.

When they arrived at the crater, they transferred to the unmodified Vajra carrier. By their command, the carrier ascended into orbit. Meanwhile, they prepared their makeshift hammock out of bedcovers and linen. When they were done, Sheryl handed Ranka the bag with her new lingerie.

"Wear this. I'll wear mine too." She began to unbutton her blouse but Ranka stopped her hand.

"Allow me..."

As nimble fingers danced over buttons, Sheryl watched those half-lidded red-orange eyes. Even in the dim purple glow of the reactor, those verdant lashes failed to conceal the restrained flames within her irises. As each button came undone, the flames slowly grew in intensity. When her blouse slid off her arms, a sigh escaped from Ranka's lips and the flames seem to flicker against an unseen force.

She guessed what Ranka would do next. Her hand came up and gently touched those quivering lips that was just inches from her own.

"My turn," she explained.

The flames in those eyes smoldered and those lips drooped in disappointment. Sheryl felt bad for denying her and planted a kiss on that smooth white forehead. The flames flickered again and a shy smile returned to her lips.

Deft hands undid the buttons and lifted Ranka's blouse over her head. With a careless toss, it floated away.

Just then, Ranka moved forward and her hands felt along the waistband of Sheryl's skirt to find the zipper. One hand slid the zipper down while the other moved her body upward to free it from her skirt. As the skirt floated away, Ranka cupped the Fairy's face and kissed her hungrily.

Between those fiery kisses, Sheryl managed to remove Ranka's skirt. The soft velvety texture of Ranka's tongue almost made her forget her original intentions. The gentle prodding of the bag near her arm was a reminder. Reluctantly, she broke the kiss. Ranka moved in to continue, but she brought the bag between them.

"Wear it and there'll be more."

As if in a drunken stupor, Ranka obeyed and began to remove her underwear. Sheryl darted behind the reactor so that she could get the full effect of seeing Ranka in the new lingerie for the first time. Within seconds, she changed to her new lingerie and adjusted it. A subtle fragrance rose from the cloth and tickled her nostrils. The clerk was right. It was an excellent choice.

Patiently, she waited behind the reactor until Ranka called out. She floated around the reactor and her breath caught in her throat.

Whatever claims of childish appearance were shattered before this green-haired beauty before her. Before her was a maiden on the cusp of womanhood. With the delicate lingerie protecting her modesty, she could easily be mistaken for a fairy tale nymph bred from sea foam and clad in fragile wisps of seaweed. Sheryl felt very lucky to see this part of Ranka and looked forward to seeing more in the future.

With a light push from her foot, she floated over to Ranka and gently moved the arms that attempted to hide her chest. Meanwhile, Ranka did not meet her gaze and kept her eyes lowered.

"Let me see you," she entreated.

Ranka glanced at her demurely and moved her arms away from her torso.

Sheryl floated a few feet away to better enjoy the view. Her eyes followed the curve of her neck to the hollow of her collarbone and down to her chest where Ranka's starfire ring hung on her necklace and sparkled with its mysterious brilliance, casting slivers of colored light on the bra. Joy filled her being to see the token of her love worn over her beloved's heart. Her hand rose to touch her matching starfire ring, which Ranka specially commissioned with Mayan designs.

Her eyes floated over the bra, which nicely accentuated the gentle swell of her breasts and was cut low enough to tease. Sheryl's hands itched to remove it, but her eyes were not finished with their journey.

Lower still, her new underwear exposed more of her hips. Sheryl vividly remembered the swimsuit event during the Miss Macross competition. She was glad that she decided to wear her glasses instead of contacts. Her glasses had special liquid lenses that allowed adjustable magnification just by tapping on the side of the frame. With it, she was able to get a closer look at Ranka discreetly. A quick mental comparison revealed fuller hips and a slimmer waist. In a year or so, Ranka would undoubtedly sport a nice figure 8.

Then her eyes wandered over the area decorated with lace near the junction of her thighs. The layers of lace began with green and ended with white. It reminded Sheryl of petals on a flower. Unconsciously, she licked her lips at the thought of uncovering the nectar within.

Meanwhile, Ranka managed to get over her embarrassment at wearing something so adult-like and revealing. Compared to her new lingerie, her underwear was simple and conservative. However, compared to what Sheryl was wearing, her own seemed modest. She had chanced a quick glance at Sheryl and her cheeks immediately flushed at what she saw. Gathering her courage, she lifted her eyes from the floor.

She had often accompanied Nanase to art museums and galleries where they saw numerous paintings of goddesses and angels. However, none of them could compare to the image before her. Freed from the pull of gravity, those golden-coral tresses seemed buoyed by an invisible aura and gave her the impression of a heavenly being descending from the sky. Those luscious lips parted slightly and tip of that agile tongue would sometimes slip out to moisten them. Patches of pale skin peeked through the thin mesh of embroidered silk on her black and velvet bra, which barely contained that generous bosom. Without gravity, those soft, full mounds seemed to float toward her like tempting fruit that made her mouth water at the thought of taking them in. The matching underwear, which she would not even dare to wear herself, was composed of a very skimpy thong of thin silk with just enough thickness to confer modesty where her thighs met. Although seeing this vision of loveliness filled her with excitement, it was sky blue eyes that watched her and only her, that thrilled her to the core.

When Sheryl's eyes had their fill, her hands were freed from self-imposed restraint and rose for the encore.

_clap CLAP clap  
clap CLAP clap clap_

Ranka's underwear split at the seams and floated away. Sheryl grinned wickedly in triumph.

"Aaah!!! What happened?!" cried Ranka as she vainly tried to catch the pieces.

"It's Applause lingerie," explained Sheryl. "You can program a clapping sequence on it. When it detects the right sequence, it unravels at the seams. Would you like to try?"

"And make my own bra fall off? No way!"

"I meant on me. Mine will fall off if you guess the right sequence."

Ranka's hair bobbed up. "Well... in that case, give me a hint."

"The sequence is a combination of 5 soft and loud claps. Each sequence represents a number between 0 and 9. One number will undo my bra. Another number will undo my underwear. For example, this sequence is 3."

_clap clap clap CLAP CLAP_

Sheryl lowered her hands and was looking forward to seeing Ranka's face scrunching up with frustration. Instead, Ranka merely smirked and delivered her answer.

_CLAP clap clap clap clap  
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP clap_

Surprise flowed into her face as the lingerie peeled off her body. Ranka went to her immediately and captured her lips. Red-orange flames of victory flared in her eyes.

"How did you... guess so quickly?" mumbled Sheryl between kisses.

"Ozma-nii taught me Morse code... when I was a kid. And... since it's you... you'd pick those numbers..."

Sheryl giggled. "You know me so well..."

"Now take it off," commanded Ranka.

Instead of clapping, Sheryl lowered her head and bit the center of Ranka's bra with her teeth. With a small tearing noise, the microhooks came undone and the bra flapped open.

"You picked this style because you just wanted to try that, didn't you?" accused Ranka. However, Sheryl did not reply. Instead, she attacked her exposed flesh. Ranka gasped as sensitive nerves were subjected to blissful torture. After about half a minute, Sheryl broke off her attack and bit the strap to guide it down her arm.

"Just use your hands," complained Ranka.

Soft kisses traveled up Ranka's arm and over her collarbone. Her skin tingled at Sheryl's gentle ministrations and was left wanting for more.

"We haven't had a chance to be alone for over three weeks. Give me some time to enjoy you."

Ranka turned toward the covered hammock, but Sheryl stopped her.

"Let's do it here."

"Out here?" Although Sheryl had seen her naked before, Ranka still felt exposed without a blanket over her. Blood rushed to her face at the thought that their bodies would not be covered.

Sky blue eyes pleaded. "Is that alright?"

It took a few moments for Ranka to overcome her embarrassment before replying. "Ok."

Whenever Sheryl looked at her like that, Ranka could not refuse her. Despite her inhibitions, a warm ache grew within her and so she took Sheryl's right hand and sucked her thumb lightly.

"She's really impatient today," thought Sheryl. By the time the bra floated away from them, Ranka had finishing sucking all the fingers on her right hand. Then she guided that hand to its desired destination.

Sheryl just allowed her hand to rest there while she hugged Ranka closely. Lips sought the curve of that graceful neck.

"I missed you so much, Ranka," she murmured against her pale skin.

Ranka wrapped her arms around her and intertwined their legs to cover as much as skin as possible. "Me too..."

Because of school and work, they did not get a chance to date. Even at school, they were limited to holding hands and secret kisses. But now, that long wait was over. With all the restrictions lifted, they luxuriated in each other's touch, pressing skin against skin and lips against lips to quench their longing.

Sheryl cupped Ranka's face with her left hand. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

Ranka nibbled on her lips. "Not enough..."

"I love you..." whispered Sheryl as she planted a gentle kiss on those petite lips. "I love you..." Another kiss landed on the tip of her chin. "I love you..." This time, the kiss settled on the crook of her neck.

With each confession, Sheryl's lips journeyed lower to her chest. When she got there, she kissed each top of that sensitive flesh, causing Ranka to shudder slightly. Then with her tongue, she began to trace the Mayan word for 'love' over that sensitive flesh and her heart. As she did so, she marveled at how smooth and soft her skin was. The spa did a really good job.

As she traced the word, Ranka's fingers threaded through her hair in a slow caress. She paused to enjoy the soothing feeling as she did so. When she finished with the word, she continued tracing with her tongue down to Ranka's abdomen. There, she traced the Mayan word for life.

The image of the little girl from the lingerie shop flashed in her mind. Then her thoughts strayed to the news that Klan was pregnant. As she finished the word, she could not help but wonder if she and Ranka would ever have children. Hope formed in her heart when she remembered that Klan went to a cloning facility. Perhaps, it was possible even between girls.

Her left hand went to Ranka's waist and lightly pushed her up. Then her right hand moved slightly from where Ranka placed it to push against her thigh.

"Shouldn't we do it together?"

"Let me go first."

Before Ranka could argue, Sheryl's lips dove down and attacked. Ranka gasped loudly at the contact and her legs jerked inward. Sheryl pushed them back and adjusted the younger girl's hips. As she explored those nether lips, she was surprised at how moist and warm they were. The combined scent of the lingerie's fragrance and Ranka's own tickled her nostrils. She bent forward to lick the abundant cream around it. When it was all gone, she probed deeper for more.

Given their current position, there was no way they could attempt this on the planet. The last time they tried this position, her neck cramped due to the awkward angle. But in zero gravity, with just feather light adjustments, she could position herself and Ranka comfortably to achieve maximum effect. Her efforts were rewarded with each cry that escaped from Ranka's lips.

"Aaah... aahhhh... ohhh... aaahhhhh! My god... aaahhhh! Aahhh!!!"

Ranka's hands clutched empty air. If they were on the bed, she would be gripping the bedsheets tightly as she tried to bear the intense sensations rippling between her thighs. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest and gripped near her elbows. Then Sheryl's tongue slid across a particularly sensitive area causing her to cry out and clutch her arms in reaction. She winced as her fingernails dug into her skin.

Sheryl's voice whispered in her mind. "Don't cover yourself... let me see you..."

Her arms unwound to her sides and she vainly tried to think of something to do with them. However, her brain, drunk from the potent stimulation coursing through her body, refused to work.

Just then, soft cloth nudged her hands, which gratefully latched on to it on impulse. Her hazy eyes shifted to her right side. It was a pillow held by a tentacle. On her left was another pillow. Sheryl nuzzled deeper and a strong pulse emanated from within her causing her to arch in reaction while her hands gripped the pillows tightly.

Her eyes rested on Sheryl and her cheeks flushed at the sight. Without the bed covers, Sheryl could see all of her. She felt exposed and vulnerable but strangely free and liberated as she floated without the restrictions of gravity. In here, it was just the two of them, and they did not have to worry about causing a scandal.

"Is this why...? So we'd be free..." thought Ranka. "But I have... nothing to hide. For you... I'd give you... everything..." Then her legs relaxed and spread out more.

Sheryl noticed and she took advantage of the increased access, thus eliciting another series of gasps and whimpers. One hand slid up Ranka's torso to her chest. With small, circular motions, fingertips played over her skin, causing it to warm up to her touch.  
Teased and tortured with pleasure, Ranka's fingers dug into the pillows and almost yanked them from the tentacles' hold. Tears beaded up on her verdant lashes and floated away as she tossed her head back.

"Oohhh... aaaahhhh... more... there... ohhh... ohhhhh... aaahhh..."

For some reason, it was getting harder to breathe and she drew a lungful of air as her body stiffened and relaxed in response. Her abdomen felt like a swirling whirlpool. Muscles swelled with pleasure, and ached for release.

"Sh---Sheryl... p-please... ahhh... haaah... aaahhh..."

Her Galaxy Fairy granted her request and plunged into her depths. Her cry caught in her throat as waves of contractions surged through her body. Her right hand managed to leave the pillow and reached towards Sheryl.

When she saw her hand, Sheryl knew that Ranka wanted to be held. She floated over Ranka and was surprised at how warm she was when she hugged her. This close, she could feel the rapid rising of her chest, hear the rush of her breath and sense each tremulous quiver from her beloved. She grinned wolfishly when she noticed the faint glow from Ranka's abdomen. At first, she was alarmed when she saw the glow for the first time. However, after reading Dr. Zore's reports, they learned that the V-Type microorganisms repond to very intense emotions by glowing. There was no doubt why it was responding now.

When her breath began to slow down, Ranka guided her hand and whispered in her ear.

"Touch me..."

"Wasn't it enough?" thought Sheryl in confusion. Feeling disappointed, she complied.

Then Ranka caught her left thigh between her legs and pressed against it. With small, short motions, she rocked against her. Within seconds, Sheryl felt tense muscles contracting forcefully. The resulting loud cry from Ranka rang her eardrums.

Sheryl kissed her forehead. "I see... you just needed a little bit there, where I couldn't reach before."

Her Cinderella's eyelids lifted slightly and dazed red-orange irises adored her with gratitude. She leaned foreward and kissed her tenderly.

"I love you..."

Then her eyes closed again and she smiled so contently that Sheryl glowed with pride.

She bent over Ranka's earlobe and tickled it. "Don't go to sleep on me..." she whispered.

"Just a few more minutes," replied Ranka while hugging her tighter. Waves of delight were still flowing within her.

They held each other quietly while basking in their shared warmth.

* * *

Ozma paced as he waited for Ranka to pick up. A muffled crackle later, the phone's speaker sprang to life.

"Hello."

"Hey, Ranka, it's me. How's it going?"

"I'm fine."

"That's good. Listen, I'm going out for dinner, so don't wait for me."

"Ok."

"Err... if you want, you can hang out with Nanase and I'll come pick you up around 8 or 9. How's that sound?"

"Ok."

"I'll give you a call. Bye!"

"Bye!"

He hung up and put the phone near his pants.

"Are you ready yet?" called Cathy from the bath.

"Yeah. I told Ranka not to wait for me." He sauntered in. Cathy was already sitting in the Jacuzzi.

"That's good. Now get in here. The water's cooling."

"Yes, ma'am!" Ozma flung his towel on the tiled countertop and obeyed the order given by Frontier's president and commander-in-chief.

* * *

Finally, Ranka switched places with Sheryl and floated over her. A faint glimmer caught her eye.

"Did we spill something, Sheryl?"

A sly smirk curved up her lips. "Oh those? Those came from you."

Ranka stared in disbelief at the numerous pearly beads floating beneath them. "I cried a little... maybe sweated a bit... it must've come from somewhere else!" She looked around. "Maybe the carrier has a broken vein..."

Sheryl's free hand scooped up some nearby beads and licked them. "Yes... definitely yours..."

Ranka covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. "No... it's... it's not... it's too much!"

Her husky voice whispered seductively. "You don't believe me? Then explain this..."

The Galaxy Fairy's fingers curled into a slight scoop and swept out, causing Ranka to gasp at the motion. Then her fingers flicked away from them, sending a spray of pearly white beads into the air.

Ranka's jaw dropped and her cheeks flushed at the sight of glittering beads floating around them. She could not refute Sheryl's explanation. Then her lips drew taut with determination and her eyes blazed with challenge.

"I hope you're ready... 'cause I'm going to top that."

Sheryl kissed her soundly. "Then show me what you've got."

A wide grin revealed the slightly pointed right canine that was proof of her zentran heritage. Pert lips descended to capture Sheryl's. The Galaxy Fairy closed her eyes and surrendered to Cinderella's touch.

Sheryl's lips felt like they were on fire. Meanwhile, feather light touches caressed her skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. One hand slipped through the tresses of her hair while another wandered to her chest. She gasped into Ranka's mouth as nimble fingers stroked and fondled that stiff flesh. Stimulated nerves lit up in excitement and a thrill went down her spine to ignite a new flame below. In response, her thighs squeezed together as warmth began to spread.

Then Ranka's tongue slid against her teeth to request entry. Her lips parted to welcome her and that agile tongue danced with hers. The hand behind her head shifted to deepen the kiss and the intensity of their dance made her forget to breathe. When Ranka broke off the kiss, she drew in gulps of air to clear her dizzy head.

"Aaahhhnnnn!!!"

The velvet texture of that agile tongue swirled over that sensitive flesh. Her hands rose to cradle that moss green head. As that warm, moist mouth covered more of her flesh, the tip of her right canine scratched her skin.

"Don't... aahhh... leave... haaaah.... aahhh... marks..." she implored.

However, Ranka did not seem to be listening as incisors nibbled lightly, causing a mixture of pain and pleasure. The hand behind her head slid down her back slowly before moving to her abdomen. Sheryl took a moment to breathe as Ranka released her flesh. Before she had enough air, Ranka had already moved to the other side and subjected that area to the same blissful torture.

A leg slipped between hers and parted them. Then Ranka slid down to her belly button and gently sucked on the skin around it. Meanwhile, the locks of that verdant hair spread out like pine needles over her sensitive skin, causing her to shiver. Unconsciously, her hand went to the top of Ranka's head and pushed towards her thighs. When she realized what happened, she pulled her hand back and diverted it to a nearby pillow, which was subjected to more abuse.

As her tongue swept downward, Ranka felt the push. She glanced up at the Galaxy Fairy and smiled evilly, knowing that she got her in this state. As usual, her Fairy was getting impatient. In revenge for what she did earlier, Ranka decided to take her time.

How she loved the sound of her whimpers as she sampled that ripe flesh which was now floating freely, pointing its glistening pink tips upward. The feel of that rushed breath that cooled her flushed cheeks was fueled by the rapid rising of that endowed chest. And just below, the scent of lilies and musk beckoned her. With one hand on the Fairy's hips, Ranka moved her up and examined the blossom before her. More warmth spread to her cheeks as she wondered whether she was like this, slick and overflowing with nectar. Her tongue slipped from its berth to find out.

"Aaahhh!!! Haaaa.... aaaahhh! aaaahhh.... aahhnnnn.... aaaahhhh!!!"

Legs pressed against her and Ranka threw a thought. "Don't do that!"

Sheryl's eyes flicked open when Ranka's shout startled her. Against the impulse of her muscles, she spread her legs more. Fingers gripped the pillows as slivers of delight emanated from her abdomen and traveled up her spine, sending thrills over the nerves of her arms and neck. She threw her head back and tried to remember to breathe.

A hand pressed against her thighs. Ranka's voice was softer now. "Don't trap me."

Through the haze of pleasure, she managed to reply. "I... I'm trying... aaahhhh... aaahhnnn... haaaahhhh... Aaaahhh!"

When her legs flinched inward again, she felt gentle tendrils wrap around her ankles. Slowly, her legs moved apart. Then sensitive muscles were stroked, causing her legs to jerk. But this time, the tendrils kept them in place.

She was not prepared for what came next. Suddenly, her abdomen came alive with thousands of tiny prickles. Her loud cry echoed through the reactor chamber as those prickles probed and tickled everywhere. The insides of her thighs were subjected to the same stimulation.

"Noooooo... s---stop... aaaahhhh... haaahhh... iiit'ssss... toooo... muuuuchhhh..." she sobbed. But Ranka was not listening.

Her legs jerked as her body thrashed at the insane stimulation. Each sliding motion moved hundreds of tiny wiggles, spreading the sensation everywhere it went. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes, releasing beads of tears to mingle with the other pearly beads around them.

She felt a tendril wrap around her waist. Then Ranka's hands rose up to land on her chest. Nimble fingers began their performance.

"N-no... moooore... c---can't... aaaahhhh! Aaaahhhh!"

Her body arched as her nerves lit up with delight. Her dizzy mind was only conscious of the burning inferno that yearned to be released.

"R--Ranka... haaahhh... aaahnn... Raankaaa... p--pleeaaase... haaahhh... Aaaahhh!"

But Ranka did not stop, and continued to drive her over the edge. Finally, the inferno flared and escaped, expanding through her body. Her legs stiffened straight and her body shuddered in ecstasy. Meanwhile, her abdomen glowed warmly.

She did not know how much time passed before she noticed that Ranka was resting her head on her chest with an ear pressed against her skin. She stroked that vibrant verdant hair and her fingers immediately got tangled in several wet, sticky locks. When she realized what happened, her hand rose to cover her mouth.

"Oh my god... now I remember..." she whispered hoarsely.

Ranka lifted her head and kissed her. "Well?"

A languid smile acknowledged Ranka's victory. "You won, but I don't think I lost at all."

Ranka kissed her again and drew back, her shiny eyes reflecting a faint image of the Galaxy Fairy's sleepy face. "That's good. Can we nap now?"

Sheryl nodded slightly and tried to move, but her muscles felt sluggish. However, she did not have to since Ranka guided her to the covered hammock. There, they wrapped themselves in swaddling linen like infants in a cradle. Cuddled in each other's arms, they fell asleep, happy and satisfied.

* * *

Continued in Flight 102: Family Ties

* * *

For chapter 1 references, see my website.


	2. Flight 102: Family Ties

**Flight 102: Family Ties**

Red-orange eyes dominated her vision when she woke up. Warm, soft fingers caressed the small of her back. That melodious voice tickled her ears like a teasing zephyr.

"Finally awake?"

Sheryl stifled a yawn with her hand. She snuggled against her. "Just a few more minutes..."

"Geez... you said that half an hour ago. You've been napping a lot."

She looked tenderly into those fiery irises. "I can't help it... there's such a cuddly girl next to me." It was true. She loved waking up to the sight of Ranka's bedroom eyes.

"You tease..." Ranka's hand rose to caress her cheek. Her thumb slowly traced the outline of her lips. Her Galaxy Fairy looked so angelic while she slept. Even now, touching her like this, she felt that she was dreaming. But her palm told her otherwise. It convinced her of the silky smoothness of her skin, the warmth of her cheek and the fullness of those shapely lips. "Ai-chan said that Ozma-nii went out and that he'll come by Nana-chan's around 8 or 9, so we can stay a little longer. But no more than thirty minutes. We have to treat Nana-chan to dinner for looking after Ai-chan and Hope."

The Fairy's lips caught Ranka's thumb and sucked on it gently. She sent her thoughts. "Is that long enough for a quickie?"

Through her skin, she could feel Ranka's temperature rising.

"Since when have you been so insatiable?" whispered Ranka.

Sheryl winked. "Since you." She released her thumb and captured her lips.

Once again, they gave in to their desire. After resting from their amorous exertions, they reluctantly parted and commanded the carrier to land. While it descended, they dressed up and packed the sheets and pillows.

When they were ready, the door to the chamber opened with a gush of fresh air. Their combined scent wafted from the chamber to the corridor.

Sheryl did not bother to hide her blush. "Ranka..."

"Yes, I know... we have to clean up." Ranka was blushing just as intensely.

From time to time, the Protoculture scientists would study the carrier. Given their keen observation and intuition, they could easily guess that the chamber was used for something other than navigation. Sheryl took out the sheets from the luggage while Ranka asked nearby Vajra to fetch water. A group of Vajra came with water inside the discarded shell of a molted Vajra. Ranka instructed them to wipe the chamber clean with the sheets and water. Then she and Sheryl mounted a Vajra that would take them to a nearby spring.

Fearing that Nanase would tease them mercilessly if she ever noticed the musky scent about them, they took a quick rinse in the warm spring waters. While they were bathing, a group of larvae gathered around their luggage. When one of them extended little legs to touch the pocket, which contained her underwear, Sheryl knew exactly what they wanted.

"Shoo!" Sheryl splashed water at the larvae and caused them to scatter. "Stay away from there or Ai-chan won't sing for you anymore!"

The threat worked for a minute or two, but later on, a new batch of larvae would wander over and repeat the same behavior. Behind her, Ranka started to giggle.

"You're laughing now, but just wait till they get yours," said Sheryl irritably.

"Oh, I doubt that," replied Ranka slyly. "Larvae like your fragrance more."

"Eh?! How do you know that?" Sheryl quickly waded over and trapped Ranka in her arms.

Between giggles, Ranka told her what happened on the day that Hope stole underwear from her laundry bin. When she finished the story, Sheryl pulled away in embarrassment.

Ranka smirked. She had seen Sheryl's reaction and felt her skin temperature rise. She decided to embellish a bit. "And it smelt really strong... and felt kinda damp..."

"It didn't! I... I was just excited to be with you the whole day... even if we had lessons..."

Ranka wove her arms around her neck. She leaned forward until their noses were touching. "How excited were you?"

"Very..."

"Now do you understand?"

Sheryl blinked several times before she caught the innuendo. "Why you..." Kissing was the only option left to prevent saying things that would embarrass herself even more, so she caught Ranka's lips and kissed her until they were both breathless.

After the Vajra cleaned the chamber, they dressed up and gathered their things. Then they left the crater and returned to Mihoshi woods. From there, they took public transportation and picked up some dinner before going to Nanase's house.

"Welcome back!" greeted Nanase as she held the door for them. "Did you have fun?"

"Yes," replied Ranka. "We had lots of fun!"

"Glad to hear that!" Then she turned her attention to the brown bag in Sheryl's hands. "That smells good..."

"Cathy recommended this restaurant. It's called The Steel Chef." Sheryl unpacked the food on the table.

"Wow! This looks tasty! Is this Japanese food?" Nanase licked her lips hungrily.

"A mix... it's sort of... a fusion... Well, stop staring and try it!"

"You betcha! Anyway, what would you like to watch while we eat?" Nanase held out two videodiscs. "This one is about two young female circus performers who start out as rivals and then become partners as they advance in their careers. It's got comedy and drama. This other one is about a girl who becomes a prince. She meets a girl who is secretly a princess and they slowly fall in love. The girl prince fights many battles to rescue her from her evil brother. It's a cross between action and fantasy."

Sheryl and Ranka read the descriptions and looked at the covers of the videodiscs.

"This one sounds like us," remarked Sheryl.

Ranka giggled. "Yeah, it sorta does... How about this one, Nana-chan?"

"Phoenix Legends it is!" Nanase positioned the TV cart and popped the disc in the reader.

They ate and watched as the characters' relationship changed from strangers to rivals and then from rivals to partners. They laughed at the clumsy attempts of courtship and wept when the older girl met an accident that injured her shoulder and had to quit the circus. They cheered each girl as she overcame obstacles in her career. They wept once more when at last, the heroines, now young women, performed together again, weaving a vow of love during their new feat, the Phoenix Act. When the credits rolled, they clapped.

"That was really good," said Sheryl as she wiped her tears with her index finger.

"Here." Ranka leaned over and dried her tears.

The doorbell rang. As Nanase went to the door, Ranka glanced at the wall clock. 9:17 PM. It was probably Ozma. She gave Sheryl a quick kiss. Sheryl understood and looked for a place to hide.

"Hey, Nanase! How's it goin'?" greeted Ozma.

"I'm doing fine, Mr. Lee. How about you?"

He grinned widely. "Feelin' great! Ready to go, Ranka?"

Ranka walked up with Ai in tow. It was rare to see her brother in such a good mood. "Yeah. Thanks for having me over, Nana-chan! See you at school!"

"Anytime! Good night!"

"Good night!" replied Ranka, Ai and Ozma in unison. They turned and left the house.

Nanase closed the door and went to the window. She watched Ozma's car until it was out of sight. Then she went to the dining room. "They're gone now."

Sheryl stepped out of the closet while Hope waddled from under the kitchen table. "I guess we'd better get going too." She took out her phone and asked Erenmeyer to pick her up.

"So he still thinks that she's dating Alto?" asked Nanase who crossed her arms over her chest.

Sheryl nodded. "We have to fool him, otherwise he'll keep lecturing or grounding her."

Nanase shoved the Frontier Enquirer before her. "Well, he better not be reading this. The media thinks that you and Alto are an item."

The flashy headline of 'Ace Pilot Gives Private Lessons' was enough to get her blood boiling. "Damn it! Security was supposed to keep them away from school!"

Nanase pointed at the pictures. "It won't be easy. See the way this line curves near the corners? It indicates that a high magnification lens was involved and this photo was probably taken from a long distance. These aren't your average hide-in-a-bush paparazzi."

Sheryl had seen Nanase's photography exhibition in the Visual Arts department, so her intuition was probably right. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "If we can't fool him anymore, we'll just have to deal with it then."

When Erenmeyer arrived, Sheryl bid Nanase goodnight. As they drove home, she stared at the starry sky.

"This can't go on forever, Ranka," thought Sheryl. "One way or another, I'll convince him to accept us."

But that was the least of her worries. If the media knew of their relationship, it may cause a scandal that might have a negative effect on Ranka's career. Although the zentraedi would be likely to accept it, not all humans would be open to a same-sex couple, particularly when their favorite idol was involved. Sheryl leaned back into the seat. "One day, we'll convince everyone to accept us... but first... Ozma..."

She closed her eyes and prayed for luck.

* * *

The next day, Sheryl began studying for next week's exams. While she was studying, Soffie announced a visitor.

"Mr. Yasaburo Saotome is here to see you, Miss."

Sheryl sighed. It was time to tell him. "I'll be right down."

She met Yasaburo at the sitting room.

"Hello, Sheryl. How are you?" Yasaburo offered a bouquet of flowers.

Sheryl accepted. "I'm fine. And you?"

"I'm doing well. I stopped by the hotel and they told me you left."

"Yes. I'm living here now. Cathy was kind enough to be my guardian."

"That's nice of her." He coughed into his hand. "Anyway, your maid told me that you're busy studying, so I won't take too long. I have tickets to the premier showing of Samurai Seventeen. Alto has one of the lead roles."

Sheryl smiled sadly. He knew that she had never seen Alto act, so he was tempting her to get a date. "I'm sorry, Yasaburo. I'm the one who wasted your time."

For several moments, Yasaburo was speechless. Then he said slowly, "What do you mean?"

She sighed. "Alto is kind. When he learned that I was dying, he asked me what he could do. I told him... that I wanted to experience life as a normal person. To live in a normal home, to eat normal food, and to have a lover... to experience at least that before I go. He was kind enough to do it. It was our lover's game. But you know Alto. You knew he was just acting. What you didn't know was... I was acting too."

"But why him? I was the one who found you on that rainy day! I could've played that role!"

"It's because..." She hesitated for a moment to study him. Could she trust him with her secret? As she looked at his honest face, she felt she could. "It's because I'm infected with a virus that's lethal to human beings. My previous manager, Grace, had implanted it in me and lied that I had a genetic disease to cover up the symptoms. I only discovered it when I stopped taking my medicine that kept it in check. But unfortunately, I had kissed Alto before I knew about it. Since he was already infected, he was the only choice. Please understand... I didn't want you to get sick because of me."

Worry etched on his face. "My brother is sick? Does he know?"

"He's fine. He's been treated already and there's no trace of the virus in his body."

"Thank god!" He leaned back and exhaled with relief. "You could've just told me all that in the beginning. But why did you keep pretending? Do you really hate me that much?"

"No! It's not that! I don't hate you at all... it's just that... I love someone else."

He stared at her with a stunned look on his face before breaking into a sad, bitter laugh. "I see... I understand now. You're telling me this because there's no need for you to pretend anymore. But what about your lover? Isn't he worried about getting infected?"

"My lover is immune to the virus."

"Does that mean that humans can become immune to it?" asked Yasaburo hopefully.

She remembered the report on the Fairy Project. Out of the ten girls who received the virus, only she, Fairy-9, survived. Sadness filled her heart at the thought of those wasted lives. "My lover and I are special cases. In all other cases, the patients died after prolonged exposure."

His face drooped with disappointment. "I see. There really was no chance for me at all."

He sighed and sat still for a few moments. Then he placed an envelope on the coffee table in front of her. "I wish you both happiness. Here are the tickets. Please go. Alto would be happy if you went."

"Oh, I couldn't..."

He held up his hand. "Don't worry. It's on me."

After he left, she went back upstairs to tackle more Astrophysics.

* * *

Despite mental fatigue from the weeklong exams, Sheryl walked excitedly to the wind tunnel hangar. Luca was tuning her new X-Gear suit. She found him at the control room.

"How's it going?"

"All power-on tests pass and I made the dummy do some basic maneuvers," replied Luca. "Here's the airflow data."

Numbers swam in her vision. She should be able to understand the measurements, but her mind was still exhausted. There was only one option left. "Can you help me tune it manually?"

"Sure. Let me help you into the suit."

Once ready, Sheryl was lowered to the center of the tunnel. She checked the readouts on the Helmet Mounted Display and confirmed that all systems were engaged.

"I'm ready, Luca," said Sheryl.

Luca turned on the tunnel's engines that simulated a strong wind. Sheryl started the suit's engines and let go of the tether. With the controls sticks in the forearm compartments, she adjusted the flaps and ailerons. As she flew the standard tests, she marveled at the response. Finally, she had her own suit and did not have to borrow Luca's or the school's.

"Does this model have variable swept wings?"

"Yes. It's on the lower right corner on the HMD. Just focus your eyes on it and the Optical Control System will activate it."

Sheryl tried it. "I don't like it there. Can I add it to one of the fingered buttons?"

"Sure. I can set it up now. Where do you want it?"

"Left and right pinky."

"Give me a few seconds..." Luca connected to the suit maintenance circuit and routed the control. "All done."

Sheryl pressed the buttons and felt the wings snap back. Then she released the buttons and wings extended in full. "Too much... I need finer granularity. Can you also give me 30% more kinesthetic feedback on the control columns?"

"Okay." Luca did not understand why Sheryl wanted it, so he decided to ask her later. Their time in the tunnel was limited since all the pilots wanted to test their suits before boot camp.

By the time Sheryl made all her adjustments, the suit's G-Force and airflow data had drastically changed. The measurements indicated that it was less stable in level flight. Luca did not trust himself to fly it for precision maneuvers. However, Sheryl did not seem to have a problem with it. She tried the standard maneuvers and the test results were within normal parameters. As they walked out of the hangar, he asked her about the wing retraction. She simply shrugged.

"It feels better with shorter wings sometimes."

"But that's what the HMD data is for. It tells you which flap to adjust if you're not stable. You can adjust everything without sweeping the wings."

"It's fine, Luca. Sometimes, using the HMD is boring," replied Sheryl with an enigmatic smile. "Ah, Erenmeyer's here. I have a studio session, so I have to go. See you at camp!"

"Bye," waved Luca. Based on what she said, Luca hoped that he would never have to do acrobatic flying with her.

* * *

A week after the exams, Ranka paid a surprise visit to the Glass estate.

"Hello, Ranka," greeted Cathy. "What brings you here?"

"These are for you," said Ranka as she offered a bouquet of flowers and a gift basket. "To thank you for giving Sheryl a home."

Cathy accepted the flowers and smelled some blossoms. "Mmm... a fine selection... thank you." She handed it to Murine. "Please, have a seat. Sheryl should be back from the recording session." She waited for Ranka to sit before sitting down herself. Then she continued. "I only did what had to be done. We need to take care of each other during times like this."

"That's why I'm even more grateful. You were able to do what I couldn't."

Cathy sighed. "It's Ozma, isn't it?"

She nodded slowly. "I love my brother. He's taken care of me and so I don't want him to think that it's his mistake that I love Sheryl."

"It's not your fault and it's not a mistake to love her. In a few years, both of you will be of legal age, and the law doesn't forbid you from loving each other. He'll have to deal with it by then."

"I can wait until he accepts us. But while I wait, I can't be with her all the time. She... she doesn't like to be alone. So that's why I'm grateful that you can keep her company."

"But don't you have that?"

"Have what?"

Cathy tapped her forehead. "The fold link."

Comprehension dawned on her face. "Oh... yes... but... I don't want to intrude."

"I did too in the beginning. It's so easy to assume that because she's the Galaxy Fairy, she wouldn't feel that way. But you and I know differently. It's just a mask she wears. Worse yet, she won't ask. No, she's afraid to ask. As her guardian, I found out more about her past. After she was orphaned, she lived in several foster homes. The last one turned her out onto the street. And that's when Grace found her. So I think, she's trying to strong, to not depend on anyone. If my hunch is right, then it's up to you to be there even though she says nothing."

"Why me?"

"Because you're the one she wants." She waited for Ranka to reply, but when she did not answer, she asked, "What is a home?"

"It's a place where your family lives. Ah!" Ranka's hand covered her mouth and understanding shone in her eyes. "I see... it's the people you go home to."

"So the place doesn't matter at all." Cathy leaned forward. "Both of you are very special. With the fold link, you can talk to each other instantly, no matter where you are. Boot camp starts tomorrow. You'll be apart for three weeks. Why don't you knock? Maybe she'll answer."

"I will. Once again, thank you. I wish I could do something to show my gratitude, but all I could do is say thank you."

She smiled gently. "There is something. Take her off my hands when you turn 20."

Ranka's hair bobbed up. "I'll be more than happy to!"

Cathy laughed. Until Sheryl returned, they talked about ways on how to deal with Ozma. When they heard Sheryl's voice from the main hall, Cathy stood up.

"I'll have some snacks brought up to Sheryl's room. Enjoy your visit."

Ranka bowed deeply. "Thank you again."

Sheryl entered the sitting room as Cathy left.

"Welcome home," greeted Cathy.

"I'm home," responded Sheryl. Her eyes lit up when she saw her visitor. "Ranka!" With several strides, she was at her side. They hugged each other tightly.

"Don't you have a photo shoot today?" asked Sheryl.

"I asked them to end it early," replied Ranka. She kissed her lightly. "I just had to see you."

Sheryl returned a lingering kiss. "I'm glad. Wanna come up to my room?"

"Sure!"

Upon entering her room, Ranka's eyes went wide in admiration. "Wow! It's pretty big! And a canopied bed! I've always wanted to sleep in one of these!"

Sheryl went to the drapes and pulled them open. "The balcony's over here." She opened the door to let Hope in. Hope entered and looked inquiringly at Ranka.

"No, she's at home. I couldn't take her to work today. Do you want her to come over?"

Hope's antennae twiddled in affirmation.

Ranka closed her eyes and asked for Ai-chan to meet them at Sheryl's house. Then she patted Hope's carapace. "She'll be right over, ok?"

Hope chirped and waddled to the pet bed where she sat quietly.

Ranka's eyes wandered the room and rested on the picture frames on the bedside table. She went over and picked up one that had a picture of herself. "When did you get this?"

"Compliments of Elmo when I was doing charity concerts," replied Sheryl. Actually, after Ranka left for the Vajra home world, her popularity dropped and Elmo was stuck with lots of Ranka related merchandise. When they started doing charity concerts, she helped herself when he was not around.

"Something's missing..." Ranka flipped it over and took the picture out. Then with a silver pen, she signed it.

_ To my dearest Sheryl, _

_ With all my Love,  
~ Ranka  
_

"Umm... is that ok? The maids will see it," asked Sheryl in alarm.

"Cathy trusts them right? I think it's fine." When she returned the picture frame to its original position, she noted that if Sheryl faced the windows, the picture would be in her line of sight when she woke up. The idea warmed her heart.

The other bedside table had a faded and dirty photo of a woman and a baby. It was signed, 'Your granddaughter, Sheryl'. Ranka picked it up.

"Is this your mom?"

"Yes."

Ranka gazed at the tender scene of mother and child. A soft smile graced her face when she noticed that baby Sheryl was grabbing her mother's hair.

"I see... you like to play with hair back then too..." thought Ranka. Whenever Sheryl caught her sleeping, she would move the locks of hair over her eyes. She slept better when it was dark, so removing the hair over her eyelids disturbed her sleep. Her brother, Ozma, also did that when she was young, but stopped after she threatened to stop cooking for him.

"Say, Sheryl, I've been wondering... why is your last name Nome? Shouldn't it change when your grandmother married?"

"For most people, that'll be the case. But for my family, the guardian bloodline is inherited through females. To make it easier to trace our lineage, Nome women ask their husbands to take the our last name."

"I see... so that means... if you ever get married..." She left the sentence unfinished and blushed.

Sheryl lifted her chin and kissed her. She finished the sentence. "My bride would take the Nome name and our children as well. Is that alright?"

"It depends how well you propose. Your fiancee may want a proper proposal," teased Ranka. She giggled at Sheryl's pouting face and then tried to erase it with a kiss.

As she returned the photo to the table, her eyes landed on the photo album next to it. Wondering if Sheryl had more pictures of her in it, she picked it up.

"May I see?"

"Sure." Sheryl patted the bed. "Have a seat."

Ranka sat down next to her and opened to the first page. It was full of pictures of her during the Miss Macross competition. Five pages later, there was a single picture of her singing at Folmo mall. As she remembered that day, she blushed unconsciously. Aside from the competition, that was the first time she ever sang in a public place.

The next set of pictures was from the movie set of Bird Human. Then on one page, there were no pictures. Instead, it had pressed flowers. She glanced up at Sheryl inquiringly.

"You gave me those when you visited me in the hospital," explained Sheryl. "What made you pick these particular ones?"

"I just thought it looked nice."

Sheryl pointed at the daisy. "This one means Loyal Love." Then she pointed at the pink rose. "And this one indicates a message: Please Believe in Me."

Ranka blushed. "I really didn't know that it meant something. I just wanted to see you that day and make sure you were ok."

Sheryl put an arm around her and kissed her. "Thanks for coming over anyway. It really made me happy even though you didn't mean it then."

Ranka kissed her back. "I mean it now."

Sheryl grinned mischievously and pushed her down on the bed. She leaned over her and bent down. Just then, there was a gasp at the door. She looked up to see a blushing Soffie at the doorway.

"Ummm... I'll just leave the snacks here, Miss. Excuse me..." Soffie hastily put the snack tray on the nearest table, bowed and left.

She berated herself for not closing the door and even more for forgetting that it was open. Below her, Ranka started to giggle.

"What's so funny?"

"The look on your face... I've never seen you so pale..."

Before anything else happened, Sheryl walked to the door and locked it. Then she crawled over Ranka. "If you think that's funny, then how about this?" Nimble fingers attacked Ranka's sides.

Ranka twitched in laughter as she tried to stop the tickle onslaught. However, those hands seemed to everywhere. She decided to attack the source. Her hand reached for the nearest pillow and pulled it from under the covers. To her surprise, her own face stared at her. She yanked it and used it to block Sheryl. When the tickling stopped, she took several deep breaths and asked.

"What's this?"

"Erm... that's... uhh..." She grabbed the pillow and moved away. "It's mine!" When the pillowcase came out, she knew that she could never get it without Grace finding out. It was pure luck that she actually found one in Elmo's stash.

Ranka knew about the pillowcase with a picture of her in an orange swimsuit on front and in a pink dress on the back. To promote her new single, Elmo decided to raffle off 100 pillowcases to fans that bought her single. She had seen photos of elated fans holding it. However, when Sheryl hugged it, one hand ended up on her chest and the other landed near her abdomen. Her imagination helpfully supplied other possibilities and she blushed in embarrassment and indignation.

"Are you sleeping with that every night?" asked Ranka in a low voice.

Sheryl gulped. Was she jealous of the pillow? If she was, she had to answer carefully. "Ummm... sometimes... but not all the time. I just keep it to look at..."

"How... how could you?!"

"I'm sorry! If... if it bothers you, I won't..."

"I want one too!!!"

"...sleep with... huh?" Sheryl stared at her.

"I want the one with the red swimsuit and the leather outfit!"

Her forehead creased as she tried to remember. "But... that's been sold out a year ago..."

Ranka crossed her arms. "Then get them to make more and reserve one for me! You're the Galaxy Fairy, right?"

"Aren't you being unreasonable?"

"If I am, hand it over." She extended a demanding hand.

Sheryl just stood there and stared at the hand and then at the pillow. "No way!"

"See? Why should I suffer while you have one?" complained Ranka.

"You already have lots of posters..."

"It's not enough!"

Sheryl sighed but kept her distance while hugging the pillow tighter. "Alright, I'll see what I can do. So, can I keep it?"

"You have 2 months," replied Ranka. "If you don't come up with it, you can't keep it."

A drop of sweat rolled down her temple. She hoped that it was enough time. Just then, there was a knock on the balcony door. It was Ai. Hope waddled out of the pet bed when Sheryl let her in. Ai hugged Hope and lifted her as if she were just a larva.

"I keep forgetting..." remarked Ranka. "She's technically a stage 3 Vajra, and just as strong even though she's my size."

Sheryl pinched Ranka's upper arm. "You're strong too, Miss Quarter Zentraedi. Hey, how about it? I've been working out!" She tossed the pillow on the bed, went to the table and assumed the arm wrestling position.

"Geez, don't you give up?" Ranka sat down and gripped her hand. "3 out of 5?"

"Yeah. This time, you're going down!" Without waiting for the start signal, Sheryl pushed hard.

Ranka's arm swayed halfway to table's surface before muscles tensed up. Through gritted teeth, her Cinderella challenged, "You sure about that?"

Her eyes narrowed. From her tone, Ranka had anticipated her gambit. To her dismay, their tight fists slowly rose up to their original position. She leaned forward in an attempt to gain more leverage. Unfortunately, despite her best efforts, she only managed to beat Ranka once.

Ranka flexed her hand. "Don't feel bad. Winning isn't everything! Even though I won, I can't let down my guard. I can feel that you're much stronger now compared to a month ago, so I'll have to work out too."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," said Sheryl in fear that the goal was slipping further away.

She shook her head. "Uh-uh. We promised each other that we'd do our best in everything, no matter what."

Sheryl sighed and offered the cake from the snack tray. "Want some?"

"Sure!"

They ate the cake and exchanged showbiz gossip. When they were about halfway done, a series of belches came from Ranka's purse. Ranka pulled out her phone and squeezed it several times to read the message. She looked at Sheryl sadly.

"Onii-chan is coming over to pick me up. We're going shopping for dinner, so I have to go."

They finished the rest of the snacks and then spent the remaining time kissing and cuddling in bed. When Soffie's hesitant voice announced Brera's arrival, they stopped.

Hand in hand, Sheryl escorted Ranka and Ai to the front door. "I might be able to check messages, so email me, ok?"

"I will," replied Ranka. She kissed her on the cheek. "Good luck with camp."

"And you too."

Sheryl watched as they drove away. Then she went back to her room to prepare her gear.

* * *

The pilots assembled in the school's main parking lot. After roll call, Mr. Bernard, director of the Pilot Course, announced the camp format.

"First week is survival training. You'll be assigned to a team of five. The team captain will pick your training area. For the second week, it'll be aerial and combat maneuvers. If you're good enough, you'll fly the VF-19 on the third week." Excited whispers rose in the crowd. "Only if you're good enough. Otherwise, you'll focus on your weak points during the third week. There are exceptions, of course." His eyes went to Luca who had already flown a VF-25 and who only wanted to attend boot camp for the experience. Alto was excused from boot camp and was rumored to be enjoying his free time flying as he pleased.

One of the instructors stepped forward and began announcing the teams. As she listened intently for her name, Sheryl shifted nervously from foot to foot. She looked at the teams forming in progress. As each name was called, the pilot went to the newly formed group. One female group already had two meltran pilots and one human pilot. The other female group had two human pilots. She hoped that chance would let her join the two.

"Sheryl Nome, Group E."

"By Miriya, why her?" moaned Tadyana Agreu, who was a third-year, meltran pilot in her homeroom and simulator class. She was a tall redhead with pale gray eyes and wore her hair in a braided ponytail.

"At least, we have Eriko," said the other meltran. She was half a head shorter than Tadyana and had short silver hair and green eyes.

As she walked over, Sheryl cursed her luck at first, but when she saw that the other female group got three meltran pilots, she wondered if she actually got the better group. Compared to Ranka, a full meltran was much stronger and their muscles sometimes rotted their brains. Although she respected their flying abilities, Sheryl preferred to avoid dealing with them. For now, she had to introduce herself.

"Hi. I'm Sheryl Nome." She extended her hand.

The silver haired girl shook it. "Aris Wesla, second-year."

Before she could introduce herself to the other member, their last member joined them. To her relief, it was another pilot in her homeroom, a half-meltran named Kanagi Shizedow. When all the members were assembled, the team captains were chosen based on ranking.

"Group E, Eriko Ichijyo."

"Yakk!" cursed Tadyana under her breath as the dark haired girl went to receive her badge.

Tadyana was ranked in the top fifty. Sheryl did not know Eriko so she could not tell how good she was from a first impression. Eriko was about her height and had shoulder length black hair with bangs that obscured at least one of her blue eyes.

She looked around. There were 11 male groups and 9 female groups. From her conversations with Luca, the ratio was about the same compared to NUNS squadrons.

"All team captains step forward and pick your site," announced the instructor who held out a box with folded pieces of paper.

Sheryl could feel the tension in the air as Eriko picked one. She handed it to him.

"Diablo Valley," read the instructor flatly, but to Sheryl, it sounded like the stuff of nightmares.

After the selections, each group boarded a bus that would take them to the training site. Two male teams boarded the bus with them. Sheryl eyed them warily and sat in the aisle seat next to Kanagi. Despite her half-meltran heritage, Kanagi was just a couple of inches taller than Ranka and a bit shy and timid. But when placed under pressure, she somehow gathered enough determination to make it through. Overall, she was an intelligent girl with good reflexes. Across from them sat Aris and Tadyana. Although Aris was in a different homeroom, Sheryl often saw her with Tadyana during lunch.

Eriko stood before them and extended a hand. The yellow and black badge on her arm indicated her captain rank.

"Hello. I'm Eriko Ichijyo, third-year."

"Sheryl Nome," replied Sheryl shaking her hand firmly. She was a bit relieved that Eriko introduced herself as if she were just another classmate.

"K-kanagi Shiz-zedow... s-second-year" stuttered Kanagi as she shook Eriko's hand.

Eriko turned and introduced herself to Tadyana who shook her hand so briefly that it seemed like a pat. Just then, the bus lurched forward and Eriko quickly took a seat behind Tadyana.

"Everyone, sit down," said Mr. Neumann, their Astrophysics teacher. "Listen up. I'm your proctor for this week. Team captains, raise your hands."

To each captain, he handed a sheet of paper. "Here's information about the site. The scenario is that you've crash-landed and only have two days worth of rations with you and a basic survival kit. You have a map that shows the location of the nearest outpost. Get there within 5 days and you pass."

He handed a backpack to the nearest pilot. "Take a pack and pass the rest. In addition to your kits, you may take one pound of personal items that can fit in the sandwich bag inside the pack. Items that aren't allowed are listed on the sheet. Put the stuff you can't bring in the box provided. When you reach the outpost, it will be returned to you. Any questions?"

While Mr. Neumann fielded questions, Sheryl began filling the sandwich bag with items that Cathy suggested. While she was doing so, Eriko looked over her stuff.

"Good choices," she said.

"Thanks," replied Sheryl.

Then Eriko looked over the contents of Kanagi's bag and told her to include specific items. She did this for each member.

The bus arrived at Group E's drop off about thirty minutes later. Mr. Neumann inspected the kits and personal items. When he saw hers, his eyebrow twitched and Sheryl felt that he was staring at her. She breathed a sigh of relief when he approved it. She placed bag in the provided backpack with the kit.

"Everyone ready?" asked Eriko. "Good. Which you has taken this test before or had any camping experience?" Tadyana raised her hand. "Alright, you're vice-captain. We'll pair up. Agreu, go with Shizedow. I'll go with Nome and Wesla. Try to stay together. Don't go alone. Now, I suggest that each of us find a walking stick."

"I can walk fine without one," said Tadyana.

"It's for self-defense as well. They did minimal terraforming in this site, so we have to be prepared for local animals."

"Know-it-all," muttered Tadyana softly when she turned away from Eriko. "C'mon, Kanagi."

After they found branches good enough for walking sticks, they climbed a hill. Eriko unfolded the map on the ground. She pointed at the map.

"This is where they dropped us off. Here's the hill. And here's the outpost. Notice anything?"

"Of course. The map doesn't have any elevation info. Same as last year," replied Tadyana.

"That's right. If we look from here towards where the outpost is, you can see that we'd have to go over some hills and the mountain."

Tadyana surveyed the area. "So you want to mark where the hills are and see if we can go around?"

"If possible."

"I'm not good at that. Kanagi's got a better eye."

"In that case, can you find water while we work on it?"

"Yeah." She turned to Aris and Sheryl. "Get their spare water bottles."

When they were ready, they headed down the hill and walked around. As Tadyana explained how to find water indicators, Sheryl felt more at ease. During her first month in class, Tadyana would often make derisive remarks about pilots who graduated from the course using their family's influence, wealth or popularity. She never said it directly to the intended recipient, but Sheryl knew what Tadyana had to say about her. She was definitely going to prove her wrong.

About fifteen minutes later, Aris pointed to a shallow trough. "How about here?"

Tadyana scrapped the bottom of the trough with her fingertips. She felt the dirt. "Too dry."

Sheryl's eyes followed the path of the trough. "The ground seems to go downhill from here. How about trying further down?"

"All right, but we can't go too far," said Tadyana.

They followed the trough and tried to leave a trail behind for getting back. They walked for about ten minutes and noticed that the ground seemed damp. Using rocks and branches, they dug about a foot into the ground and found water.

"Hey, Nome! You know Morse code?" asked Tadyana.

"Yes."

"Signal Ichijyo and tell her we found water. We'll be back in thirty minutes."

"But there's a lot of trees here."

Those icy gray eyes stared at her. "Then climb one," replied Tadyana in a condescending tone.

Sheryl stood up and dusted her hands. She left her bottle with them and selected a tree to climb. Based on her past field experience with the scientists, she avoided ones that had flowers.

She took out her mirror and tried to look for the hill. She easily found it since a column of smoke was coming from the top. Angling the mirror, she flashed the message and waited. When she did not get a response, she tried again. Finally, she saw a series of flashes.

"Roger. Map done."

With that, she returned to Aris and Tadyana.

"What took you so long?" asked Tadyana who did not look up from filtering water.

"They didn't notice. I had to do it several times."

"Kanagi's sharp. You probably garbled it."

Sheryl held back her retort through gritted teeth. She knelt by the hole and began to put together her own filter. "The map's done. They're smoking the hill, so it's easy to see."

"Good. Now help filter water."

After they were finished filling the bottles and some plastic bags, they returned to the hill. To their surprise, Eriko and Kanagi were roasting some sort of lizard. It was about a foot long and had six legs.

"It was sitting on a rock and the captain just sneaked up behind it and hit it with a stick!"

Aris cupped her hand to her mouth and turned a shade of green while Tadyana stared at it incredulously. "You're gonna eat that?"

"It was in the final lecture. It's edible. We only have two days of rations and there's a mountain between the outpost and us. The rations won't spoil, so we can use it if we don't find anything to eat."

Kanagi turned to Tadyana. "Oh, yeah... sorry about the message. I saw it, but I didn't want to move while the captain was hunting."

"No problem. So, what's next, captain?" said Tadyana.

Sheryl noticed the derision in her voice when she said the last word. However, if Eriko noticed it, she did not show it and spoke calmly. Based on the elevation, she explained the planned route.

"Everyone make yourself a copy so that if we get separated, rendezvous at the marked locations. For now, I estimate that we'll get there around 3 or 4 days, depending on how bad the terrain is. It's hard to see under the treetops."

"How sure are you? We've got a newbie tagging along," said Tadyana.

"As long as we provide the proper guidance, I'm confident that Wesla, Shizedow and Nome can keep up with us," said the captain.

"Nice one," thought Sheryl. "Shifting responsibility to her shoulders." Eriko was handling Tadyana's barbs very well.

A scowl briefly formed on the vice-captains's face. She kicked a rock towards the lizard. "When's this done? We gotta get going."

"Soon. In the meantime, did you check your trackers?" When everyone replied positively, she continued. "Good. Wear it at all times. If you're hurt or in trouble, use it to call for help. Don't worry about the rest of us."

"Hey, this is still a test, you know. If one of us quits, all of us stop the test and we won't get full marks," said Tadyana. "I prefer to keep my ranking, thank you very much."

Eriko's voice was low and controlled. "I don't think a bunch of numbers is more important than the team's safety. My order stands. Ring it for help."

Unconsciously, Sheryl took a step back. If they were going to argue, she preferred to be outside the line of fire.

"Getting there before five days may be good enough for you, but we get bonus points the earlier we get there. That's bonus points we can use to qualify for the VF-19!"

"I understand. That's why we have to work together. The instructors always mix senior and junior cadets in each team. We have to know each other's strengths and weaknesses so we can help each other out."

"There's a case of too much weaknesses."

From beneath those dark bangs, deep blue eyes looked her at squarely. "Say it."

"Well..." Tadyana was silent for a few moments. Then she blurted out, "Nome's a first-year..."

"As long as she meets the requirements, she can take the test. I did it when I was a first-year."

"But usually, they don't recommend first-years to do it. You know what it's like!"

"Yes, I do." Eriko faced Sheryl. "From experience, I have to warn you that it's not going to be easy, Nome. You must keep up."

Sheryl answered with steel in her voice. "Don't worry. I will."

The captain nodded and checked the lizard. "This is good enough. Let's wrap it up."

After putting out the fire, they started their long hike. As they walked along, Eriko quizzed them on different maneuvers. When she disagreed with their answer, she would demonstrate why by simulating the flight with her hand, middle fingers together while the thumb and pinky pointed out like wings.

"For the Low Yo-yo, you have to dive below the bogey so you'll get enough speed to make a fast turn," explained Eriko as she traced the planes' paths with her hands.

"I get it now," said Aris. "The two cases always confuse me."

"You just need to check whether you're above or below the bogey. If you're above, dive. If you're below, climb."

For lunch, Eriko cut up half the lizard and handed them a portion. Sheryl took one bite and fought the urge to throw up. She decided to wait for her water to boil before eating the rest and asked Eriko for permission to look for edible berries or fruit.

"No. We'll forage together later. Just keep boiling water. Only three of us have cups. It'll get hotter in the afternoon, so we'll need more water."

At her reply, Sheryl was glad for Cathy's advice. She would not have thought to bring a light, titanium cup to boil water in. Although the kit included purification tablets, it would not be enough to kill all parasites.

For a few moments, she watched Eriko eat the lizard meat. Her face did not show any revulsion at all. Sheryl stared at her portion and braced herself once more. She bit a piece and chewed it as fast as possible so that she would not taste it.

After lunch, they resumed the hike and the quizzes. About midday, they started to sweat more. Sheryl unzipped the sleeves from her shirt and the lower part of her pants.

"That's handy," remarked Kanagi who rolled up the sleeves of her t-shirt. Last week, they were told to wear comfortable clothing for the survival test. Most people came in t-shirts and jeans or shorts.

Tadyana, on the other hand, simply took off her shirt. Her breasts bulged out against her soaked sports bra. When she saw their shocked faces, she shrugged, "What? It's just us girls."

"You have a point. We have to prevent dehydration," agreed Eriko. She took off her shirt too. Aris did the same.

When the captain was a good distance away, Tadyana smirked under her breath. "At least, I have the advantage here."

Compared to the rest of them, Eriko had the smallest breasts, which was typical for young Japanese women. Sheryl stood up proudly. In that respect, hers was just as large as Tadyana's and Aris'. Kanagi's was in between. With a smile of amusement on her lips, Sheryl continued hiking with her half-naked team.

* * *

Meanwhile, at City Hall, Cathy received an unexpected visitor.

"Uncle Flex!?" exclaimed Cathy as she stood up.

"Yes, it's me, kitty Cat!" Senator Felix E. Glass caught his niece in a bear hug. He drew back at arms length. "Let me look at you... all grown up to be president... and I thought you wanted to be in the military!"

She led her uncle to the couches. "Things happened, uncle. But I'm not really an official president. I'm just an emergency one until things settle down. After the new constitution is ratified, another election will be held at the beginning of next year to elect the first president for the united colonies of Frontier and Galaxy."

He sat down. "Oh yes, I'm well aware of that. I wouldn't be here otherwise."

Cathy sat across from him. Her Uncle Flex was her father's older brother. Even though he did not wear a mustache, he bore such a resemblance to him that the sight of his face almost brought her to tears. But her father was gone. At least, she still had her Uncle Flex.

"I see... you're one of the delegates." She gestured to her aide and asked him to bring refreshments. "Have you reviewed the draft?"

"I'm almost done. It's quite thorough. How much of it is yours?"

"About half. Lehr and Verneuil, the previous Galaxy president, did the rest."

"You sure you don't want to be president?"

She held out her hands. "Look at me, Uncle Flex! I'm just 24! Before becoming president, I just did minor jobs for Daddy and the Office of Internal Affairs! Who would want a young, inexperienced woman for president?"

"You do have a point there, kitty Cat. Maybe some other time in the future."

"By space, uncle... You better drop your standards."

He smiled widely. "Can't do that. You've got Howard's genes in you."

She blushed slightly. "At least, someone has more confidence in me than I do," thought Cathy. She decided to change the topic. "You're cut from the same cloth. Don't you want to be president? With the Glass name and your reputation, you have a big chance to make a difference here than on Earth."

Her uncle seemed surprised at her question. "Me...? Hmm... I don't know... I'll think about it."

"He didn't say no," thought Cathy excitedly. "Maybe there's a chance. But first, I need more information." She cleared her throat.

"So... what's the latest news from Earth?"

Felix leaned back and intertwined his fingers over his stomach. "Well, now... Frontier caused quite a stir back home. In fact..."

Cathy leaned forward and eagerly listened to his news. From his stories, she had a feeling that it was going to be an uphill battle with the Earth Senators.

* * *

When the sun was halfway down the horizon, the captain suggested that they make camp.

"We can still go on. There's still light left," argued Tadyana.

"We have to setup a shelter and gather firewood, unless you want to sleep without a roof over your head in a forest with strange creatures in the trees above you."

Her mouth melted in to a grimace of disgust. "I'll do the shelter. I'm good at that," said the redhead.

"I'll help," offered Aris.

"Shizedow, help them out. Nome, you're with me," said Eriko. "We need to get firewood. If you see anything edible, get it or kill it."

Sheryl cringed at the idea of killing anything. She hoped that there would be berries or fruit nearby. The lizard meat was really nasty.

Unfortunately, they did not see any. They returned to camp to see two lean-tos in progress. The captain put the bundle of firewood down.

"Start the fire and boil water. I'll help them," said Eriko.

Sheryl did as she was told and prepared the campfire a good distance from the lean-to's. While waiting for the water to boil, she gathered leaves that would be used to insulate them from the ground.

When the lean-tos were done, they sat by the campfire for dinner. Sheryl pulled her shoes off. Her feet were sore, but not blistered which was a good sign. After wearing the shoes all week long, her feet got used to them.

Kanagi was not as fortunate. The skin by her big toe and little toe was blistered. By the condition of her shoes, it was obvious that it was new.

"When did it start hurting?" asked Eriko.

"I-it's okay. I'll be fine," said Kanagi.

Eriko rummaged through her pack. "If it bursts, it'll count as an injury. You'll slow us down. Next time, tell me if it starts to hurt. Don't wait." She offered some gauze. "Here. Before you put your shoes on, use this to pad the blisters. Make sure it doesn't chafe."

"Th-thanks..." replied Kanagi as she accepted the gauze.

"Anyone else?" She glanced at Sheryl's feet for a few moments before looking at Aris'.

"We're fine," said Tadyana airily. "Meltrandi are tougher than normal humans."

Eriko did not say anything and distributed the rest of the lizard. After she was done, she asked for their opinion.

"We need a squadron name. Any suggestions?"

The camp was silent except for the crackle of the fire. Finally, Aris spoke.

"Eagles?"

"That's too common," argued Tadyana.

"How about firefly?" said Kanagi.

The redhead snorted. "We're not insects. How about viper? They're swift and dangerous."

This time Eriko spoke. "I'm against slithering creatures. I don't want to be associated with anything that crawls on the ground. Not my style."

"Stingray?" offered Aris.

"Stingrays are wide and flat," said Sheryl. "I don't think it projects a good image."

"I agree," said Eriko. "Plus it's wet and slimy. We're pilots, so our name should be related to flying."

Back and forth, names were suggested and rejected. As she tried to think of a name, Sheryl stared at the fire. What name could project the image that they wanted and not seem lame or overused? Just then, a breeze fanned a dying ember and a burst of flame rose from it. The sight of the flame rising from the ashes inspired an idea.

"How about phoenix?"

All eyes turned to her and considered.

"What's that?" asked Aris.

"It's a mythical bird that's made of fire. It turns into ashes when it dies, but it gets reborn again," explained Kanagi.

"So it can't be killed and breathes fire, right? Hmmm... kinda dangerous. I guess it's okay," said Tadyana.

"It's a bird, so it matches up with our image," said Aris.

"Alright, any objections to phoenix?" asked Eriko. When nobody voiced any, she held out her hand towards everyone and declared, "Then it's decided. We're Phoenix Squadron."

Aris reached out and placed her hand on top of Eriko's. "We need callsigns, right? Tadyana can be Phoenix Red and Kanagi can be Phoenix Green." The callsigns matched their hair color.

Kanagi hesitantly placed her hand on top of Aris. "Th-then you're Phoenix S-silver."

Red put her hand on top and smirked. "As appropriate, the captain's Phoenix Black." She glanced at Sheryl who was about to place her hand and noted her hair color. "And Nome is... pink."

Sheryl placed her hand down and stared incredulously at Tadyana. She expected to be yellow or gold. "What?"

Aris nodded. "Yeah, definitely pink. Right, Shizedow?"

"Umm... uh..." Kanagi's purple eyes shifted away from them.

"It's obviously pink, Kanagi," said Tadyana.

"Ah... yes..." squeaked Kanagi.

"Just wait a..." protested Sheryl.

"Then it's settled," said Eriko. "From now on, let's use callsigns. We need to get used to them for aerial training."

After dinner, Tadyana lit a branch. "Kanagi and I are going to fetch some water. Give me your cups."

"You found some?" asked Eriko who handed her a cup.

"Not exactly. I found a bunch of plantain type trees, so I cut some down to build the lean-tos. Then I hollowed out the stumps. They should be filled with some water now."

"Good job. How long before it fills again?"

She shrugged. "Around thirty minutes."

Eriko stood up. "Let's all go see where it is. If you're on watch, wake the next person at the end of your watch and both of you get water. Then the person on watch should filter and boil it."

After they agreed on the order of the night watch, they decided on sleeping arrangements. Since there were only two lean-tos, two people would sleep in one. To her relief, she would share the lean-to with Eriko and Kanagi.

Since they had a water source, they took turns taking a sponge bath. As she wiped herself behind the solar blanket that served as a makeshift curtain, Sheryl felt strangely vulnerable. She stared into the dark forest and hoped that no wild animals would bother them.

As usual, the starfire ring glowed on her chest. Her fingertips ran across the cold metal.

"How are you doing, Ranka?" she wondered. Her hand closed over the ring. "I miss you..."

When she was done, she started the first watch. Time passed without incident and she woke Kanagi for the next watch. After fetching water, she crawled in with Eriko. She sighed heavily and shifted her sore muscles. It was good to finally lie down even on hard ground.

For several minutes, she lay there listening to the sound of Kanagi moving around and the various chirping noises around them. Unfortunately, she could not seem to sleep. By the time she shifted for the third time, a familiar voice whispered in her mind.

"Sheryl..."

"I must be really tired..." thought Sheryl. "I'm hearing her voice in my head."

"Sheryl..."

For several seconds, her mind tried to sort itself out of confusion. She lifted her wrist to check the time. Her watch illuminated to show 11:42 PM. What if it really was Ranka?

"Sheryl..."

This time, she answered, "Ranka?"

In her mind, Ranka stepped into view. "May I come in?"

"Yes, of course!" She hugged her image and Ranka hugged back. She could almost feel that petite body against her.

"How's camp?"

"Horrible. Dirt's stuck under my fingernails from digging and I had to eat this nasty lizard. Right now, I'm sleeping on a pile of leaves with only this flimsy solar blanket for warmth." Given Ranka's jealous streak, she did not say that she was sharing the lean-to with Eriko.

Ranka kissed her. "Oh my poor Galaxy Fairy! You really should've transferred to PA. We're in this beautiful Victorian mansion on a hill. There are fountains in courtyard and musical instruments and paintings in each room."

"You're kidding..."

Her Cinderella shook her head. "I'm not. Open your mind to me, and I'll show you."

Sheryl relaxed and let Ranka's thoughts flow in. Images formed around her and she found herself standing in front of a large mansion. Her jaw dropped. With its graceful architecture and sculpted landscaping, it was an amazing sight.

"You're staying here?!"

"Yes. The PA director wants to inspire us for boot camp so he booked this mansion. He believes we'll be more creative this way." She grabbed her hand. "C'mon. I'll give you the virtual tour!"

Sadly, she shook her head. "I'd love to, Ranka, but I'm really tired right now and the captain wants us up at dawn."

"Oh..." Her drooping eyes indicated her disappointment. However, it was brief and her hair bobbed up. She sat down and patted her lap. "In that case, let me sing you a lullaby."

Sheryl smiled gleefully and placed her head on her lap. The scene around her shifted once more and reformed into a golden meadow with a small garden. The sky was painted with a soft orange from the sunset. Dandelion wishies floated about. It looked strangely familiar.

"Where's this?"

"The meadow behind the lab in the 117th fleet. My mother would often sing me to sleep here," replied Ranka as she stroked her Fairy's golden-coral locks.

"Oh! I think I remember now... we visited Grandma here once. Grandma kept a garden and I used to pick flowers from there."

Ranka leaned down and kissed her forehead. Then she began to sing. Sheryl closed her eyes and let that calming voice carry her towards slumber.

It was not long before Ranka felt the flow link weaken. The meadow was dissolving slowly. She bent down and planted a kiss on Sheryl's cheek before she lost the link.

"Good night, my sweet Fairy."

* * *

While waiting for Cathy, Ozma wandered listlessly in the Glass mansion. He came upon a hallway full of pictures on its walls. Some were dated back to the 1800s. He read the labels on some of them.

_ Abraham Glass, Sheriff, 1832  
Norman Glass, Judge, 1846  
Timothy Glass, Constable, 1869  
Earl Glass, Chief of Police, 1885  
Galvin Glass, Mayor, 1906 _

He skipped to the current Glass family. There were pictures of the former president Howard Glass at various events. He smiled at a picture of a young Cathy at a charity dinner. She looked so awkward in her pink dress and ponytails. Sitting next to her was her uncle, Earth Senator Felix E. Glass.

Then his eyes found the latest addition to the wall. It was a picture of Cathy and her running mate, Wilhelm Lehr, at the end of their inauguration ceremony. His eyes shifted between the picture of the young Cathy and her presidential photo.

"You've come a long way..." muttered Ozma. "Who would've thought that a Miss Macross would be president someday? In another time and place, maybe... you could've been my..."

"So this where you're hiding," said Cathy as she walked towards him. She patted her wet hair with the towel around her shoulders. "Dinner is ready downstairs. I'll be down in a moment."

"Ok."

A few minutes later, they were having dinner in the screened back porch. Candles and moonlight illuminated their meal. Ozma felt a little out of place. He was too used to having meals in a noisy mess hall or in his home's dinning room with Ranka and Brera. But with both of them at boot camp, the house felt empty. On impulse, he decided to call Cathy for a date. Somehow, he ended up here.

"So how's Lehr doing?" Vice President Lehr was over seventy and had a tendency to get sick. However, his reputation was still strong in the senate, which was why Cathy convinced him to get out of retirement and be her running mate during the emergency elections. Given the Glass name and Lehr's experience, they won by a big margin.

"He's fighting a cold, but he was able to help me out with the constitutional changes."

"Are the Galaxy senators giving you grief?"

"A bit, especially about the implant law. The debate was long, but Lehr stayed for all of it. If it weren't for him, I'd have made some mistakes."

As they talked about the new laws, Ozma could not help but notice it. "I swear... sometimes I can hear your Dad talking."

Cathy leaned back and sighed. "Dad's legacy. You always did say that I keep ending up with his dirty work. Right now, if I can use the Glass name to win the public's trust in the government and unite everyone towards colonization, then I'll shoulder the burden."

They continued talking about politics until about halfway through dinner. Ozma cleared his throat and decided to breach the topic.

"So... what made you decide to be her guardian?"

"Why not? Dad asked me to take care of her in the first place."

"You didn't have to keep doing it."

"Let me put it to you this way. We have two very unique girls who can have a great impact on Frontier's future, and quite possibly, the rest of the galaxy. Given what they're able to do, they can't live normal lives even if we try to shield them. Fate won't leave them alone."

"Ranka is very lucky that she has you. Sheryl, on the other hand, had been isolated from any family for a very long time. I want to be there for her just like Dad did for me. One day, there'll come a time when she'll have to make a big decision and I want to make sure that it won't be one that she'll regret. That's why I want to guide her until she becomes a responsible adult. Only then can my conscience rest."

The thought of a mix of Cathy's personality in Sheryl's popped into Ozma's head. The resulting image was a more bossy, brattier Sheryl. He lost his composure and chuckled at the image.

"What's so funny? You think I can't do it?" asked Cathy.

He rubbed the back of his head. "On the contrary, I think she's in good hands. It's just that... you really hated her in the beginning."

Cathy stabbed her steak. "Anyone would with that attitude of hers! By space! She was so annoying..."

"How's she now?"

"She's nicer and more considerate. Before, she was like a wild child underneath that wholesome idol mask. Her company just let her do whatever she wanted as long as she made them money. It's a miracle that someone was able to tame her."

"It can't be helped. No one can resist my Ranka's sweet nature," boasted Ozma proudly.

Cathy's eyes twinkled with mirth when he took the bait. "So it's good that she and Ranka met."

He choked on his food and gulped down some wine. "I didn't say that! Look, it doesn't go both ways! Sure, I'll admit that she encouraged Ranka, but I don't want her bratty side corrupting her. Ranka is perfectly fine without her!"

She was too tired to argue. "If you say so. Oh yes, I just received word that Admiral Hayase has arrived. I'll be meeting with him tomorrow."

"That's good." He pushed another set of glazed pearl onions to the side of his plate.

"What are you doing? Don't waste it!" She reached over and impaled several with her fork. The onions met their fate in her mouth.

Ozma laughed and popped the rest in his mouth. He fought the urge to spit them out and swallowed forcefully. Across the table, Cathy broke out into laughter. He laughed with her. Perhaps, he could get used to this sort of meal for the rest of the week.

* * *

Continued in Flight 103.

* * *

**Notable References:**

The pillowcases for Sheryl and Ranka do exist. From sankaku complex:

_Both dakimakura should run around ¥10,500 and will be the standard size of 150×50cm._

See my homepage for a link to the pictures. Flight related terminology is also available in the Chapter References link._  
_


	3. Flight 103: It Came From Diablo Valley

**Flight 103: It Came From Diablo Valley**

"Wait! I'm coming too!" cried Kanagi.

"You have to rest your feet, Green. Plus, it's not every day you get to sleep with the famous Galaxy Fairy in a hot steamy jungle," teased Aris as she braided the redhead's hair.

Just then, Sheryl snuggled against her, breathing softly near her neck. Kanagi's cheeks flamed at the contact. She pulled away and tried to disentangle herself from the Fairy's limbs that were wrapped around her.

"N-no, you've got it all wrong! W-we're not like that!"

Red chuckled. "You say that, but your face says something else. Besides, you look so comfortable together. By Miriya, I wish I could sleep like that!" She rubbed her neck and glanced at Eriko. "How was she, Black?"

The captain was checking the map and compass. "Why don't you sleep with her tonight?"

She felt eyes piercing her back. "Err... no... I'll pass. Aris is good enough for me."

Eriko spoke to Kanagi. "Green, go make breakfast. Tell Pink to prepare water. We're going to get more food."

"But..." protested Kanagi once more as she rose on an elbow. But when Eriko stared at her, she could not argue. With a bit of effort, she managed to extract herself from the lean-to. Then she busied herself with breakfast and split the meal over the tin plates which were borrowed from Eriko and Tadyana. When she was done, she tried to wake Sheryl.

"Hey, Nome..."

From the edge of her consciousness, Sheryl heard Kanagi's voice. A hand shook her shoulder. Slowly, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Through the foliage, the rays of dawn poked through.

"Breakfast is ready," said Kanagi. She offered a tin plate with scrambled eggs and some berries.

She took the plate. "Where'd you get the eggs?"

"Silver climbed a tree and found them."

She looked around. "Where's everybody?"

"They went to get more food. The captain said that I should rest my feet, so we'll be here for most of the morning while they hunt."

"I see. Did she have any instructions for me?"

"Boil water."

Sheryl sighed. She had no experience hunting, so boiling water was all she could do. "Let me finish this and we can fetch water together."

"Ok." For a few seconds, she watched Sheryl eat. Then she blurted out, "A-and... I'm s-sorry about yesterday!"

"About what?" asked Sheryl between bites.

"A-about your color..."

"It can't be helped. You know Tadyana won't stop when she has her mind set on something."

"B-but still..."

"It's ok. I don't like it, but in a way, she accepted me as part of the team, and that's good enough for me."

"Oh, I see. I-I feel more relieved now. I-is it ok if I call you Pink?"

It was too late to undo the damage already. "Yeah, it's fine. How's your foot?"

"A little better, but the blister's still there."

While waiting for the rest of the team to come back, they did their chores. Around mid-morning, they arrived with a couple of birds and more berries.

"You should've seen the captain! She just shot them down with her slingshot!" exclaimed Aris as she picked up her share of breakfast.

The said slingshot was hanging from Eriko's belt and was newly whittled from a branch. A stout band was secured to its ends. When Neumann inspected their personal items, Sheryl saw the band in the captain's pouch and wondered what it was for. Now, she knew. Since a slingshot would be too large for the pouch, Eriko just brought the band and carved the body.

The captain handed the birds to Kanagi. "Clean these up and roast them."

Kanagi turned pale as she accepted the birds. She moved to the outskirts of camp to do her grisly task. After the birds were roasted, they packed up and continued the hike.

Around mid-afternoon, they heard screaming in the distance. They stopped in their tracks and listened carefully.

"I hear... faint voices..." whispered Aris.

Kanagi's hand went to her mouth. "W-what if wild animals attacked the guys?"

Tadyana's hand tightened on the stick and she took a step. "We gotta get over there!"

Eriko stopped her. "Hold on. We're not sure what's out there. We should be more cautious."

"I agree," said Sheryl.

"What if it's too late? If they're in trouble, we could save them!" argued Aris.

"Then let's just move as fast as we can without making too much noise. Everyone get their blades out," ordered Eriko.

They crept through the brush. Finally, they saw movement and approached more stealthily. Two men were standing over five of their classmates who were unconscious and tied up with the twine from their kits. Each standing man had the blade from the kit in his hand. One man was emptying the packs and separating the rations and water. The men's heads were shaved and each wore a matching gray shirt and pants.

"By Miriya..." cursed Tadyana under her breath. "What now, Black?"

"We have to separate them," said Eriko softly. "If the three of them could take out five guys, then they must be strong. What's everyone's combat experience?"

"Aris and I can hold our own in a fight," said the redhead confidently.

"Umm... I'm not very good..." admitted Kanagi.

Sheryl cleared her throat nervously. She had never been in a physical fight before, so she tried her best to sound confident despite the rising panic in her heart. "I've fought in a few battles."

Eriko's tone grew even more serious. "In that case, here's the plan..."

They listened attentively before discussing changes to the plan. When they were satisfied, they made their preparations. As soon as they were ready, Aris went over to the men who were eating the rations. She stumbled through the brush.

"Oops, wrong picnic... I'll be going now..."

The men stared at her and only reacted when she turned to run. The largest one yelled, "Get her!"

One man dropped his food and ran after her. Aris sprinted as fast as she could. She was chased about fifty feet away from the site before the man stumbled over a hidden twine across the path and fell. Rocks smashed on his head and hands courtesy of Sheryl and Kanagi. Aris checked that he was unconscious and took all his weapons before climbing a tree and signaling Eriko with the mirror.

The captain received the message and replied. She watched the men from above in a nearby tree. The men paced impatiently before they started arguing. Then they stuffed the rations in two packs.

"We can't leave any witnesses..." said the large one. He unfolded a blade and yanked a nearby pilot's head back to expose his throat.

"Crap!" cursed Eriko. She hoped that one of them would leave and look for his companion. She cocked her slingshot and fired.

"Aaaugh!" The large man fell to his knees and held a hand to his bleeding temple.

With a loud crack, a large branch landed on the other man's head. He swayed for a moment and then spun around crazily, slicing the air with his blade.

Tadyana parried as the man advanced and tried to cut her. Meanwhile, the large man got up and lunged towards her. He screamed again when another rock hit the top of his head.

For a moment, her opponent looked away towards his companion. Tadyana seized the opportunity and drove the branch towards her opponent's throat. She grinned with satisfaction when soft muscles met wood. The man reeled away gagging. She followed it up with a kick to his groin, but the man caught her foot when she connected and pulled her ankle. With a panicked yell, she fell to the ground.

The blade flashed in her direction and she parried it frantically.

"Y--you... b--bitch..." rasped the man between wheezing coughs. He raised his blade.

Just then, a rock hit his head and he howled in pain as blood dripped down his eyes. Kanagi was sneaking up behind her opponent. Tadyana whipped the branch towards his face. The attack forced him to block and Kanagi took advantage of the diversion to swing down. The man's eyes rolled up and he fell forward. Tadyana braced the branch against the ground to divert him away from her. She got up to help Aris but winced in pain when she put weight on her ankle.

Meanwhile, Aris and Sheryl hit the larger man with their walking sticks. When her walking stick broke, Sheryl backed off. Even after several hits, the man was still standing. She resorted to the next option and unhooked her water bottle from her belt. When Aris made an opening, she lunged in and splashed hot water onto the man's face. The man shrank back and covered his eyes with one hand while the other sliced aimlessly through the air. Then Kanagi ran behind him and swung with all her might. He crumpled to the ground unconscious.

"Everyone ok?" yelled Eriko from somewhere.

"My ankle's hurt," replied Tadyana.

"I'll be right over."

Sheryl took a few moments to catch her breath. Meanwhile, Aris took the blades from the large man. Kanagi was activating the tracker on each male pilot.

The men had numbers sewn on their shirts. The large man had a barcode etched on the back of his hand. Sheryl guessed that they were probably escaped convicts.

She wiped the sweat from her brow and took a flare from a pack to fire it. It raced to the sky, leaving a trail of red plume. She dropped the flare remnants and began untying the other pilots.

Eriko arrived and knelt next to Tadyana. After examining it, she announced gravely, "It's sprained. I'll wrap it for now. Pink, can I borrow some of your athletic tape?"

Sheryl dug into her bag and gave her the roll of self-adhering athletic tape. And then it happened. Tadyana's opponent sat up and swung the branch towards Eriko's head.

"Watch out!" yelled Sheryl as she tackled Eriko. She grimaced in pain as the branch hit her right shoulder.

Aris and Kanagi were on him in an instant. Several strikes later, he lay bloodied on the ground.

Concern filled the captain's face when she saw Sheryl's arm position. "Don't move, Nome."

Eriko touched her shoulder gently and pressed various spots. Sheryl winced. A minute later, she declared, "I think it's dislocated. Silver, can you hold her? Sorry, Nome. This is going to hurt."

Since she was already in pain, Sheryl thought that it could not get any worse. When Eriko rotated her arm, she realized that she was wrong.

"AAAHHH!!!" screamed Sheryl as tears flooded her vision. Something shifted into place in her shoulder.

"Try not to move it too much. I'm really sorry, Nome. I should've been more alert. Can you go on? If you can't, then I'll activate the tracker."

Through her haze of pain, the Galaxy Fairy made her decision. "O-of course... I can..."

"Mine doesn't feel that bad. I'll just walk it off," said Tadyana.

The captain acknowledged their decisions. "Alright. Pink, I'll make you a sling later. Right now, we have to get going before Neumann comes. We don't want to get picked up with these guys. Green, can you carry her pack?"

Eriko quickly wrapped Tadyana's ankle. With Aris supporting Tadyana, they walked away from the site. A few minutes later, they heard a whirring noise overhead. A helicopter hovered over the site and Mr. Neumann climbed down a rope ladder.

"He'll take care of it. Let's keep moving," said the captain.

Ten minutes later, they took a break. Eriko adjusted Tadyana's wraps and made a splint around her ankle with cloth from the other team's pack and twine. Then she wrapped Sheryl's shoulder and made her a sling. Meanwhile, Aris and Kanagi warmed up the roasted bird meat to eat.

"This sucks," complained Tadyana as she raised her ankle on a log.

"It's not that bad," said Aris. "At least, we don't have to hunt for food anymore."

With the rations from the other team, they had enough for the rest of the week. Rations did not taste that great, but they were ten times more palatable than the lizard.

The rest of the day was uneventful and they made camp at dusk. After dinner, they decided to rest as much as possible with the usual night watch. Around 11 PM, Sheryl received another visit from Ranka.

"Oh no!" cried Ranka with worry. "Does it hurt a lot?"

"It's just sore. The captain said not to put weight on it."

Ranka hugged her. "Are you going to be ok?"

"I'll be fine. The captain's a good shot and there's tough fighters on our team."

"I wish there was something I could do."

Sheryl kissed her. "There is... and only you could do it."

Those verdant locks bounced up. She patted her lap and Sheryl obediently laid her head on it.

Once again, that clear, soothing voiced lulled her to sleep. Pain forgotten, she drifted into dreams of her wonderful Cinderella.

* * *

"By Miriya... it pisses me off to see her sleep like that," grumbled Tadyana as she sat against a tree. She yawned and rubbed her sore muscles.

"She's been through a lot," said Kanagi who was making breakfast. "Why don't you sleep too?"

"I'm already up."

Kanagi did not say anything and offered her a cup of water and warm rations with some berries that she found nearby. She hoped that Aris and Eriko would be back from scouting soon. With Tadyana injured, they had to pick more level terrain.

The rest of the day progressed in an expected routine and they camped at dusk. While Eriko was adjusting Sheryl's sling, Tadyana saw it. After the captain left, she hobbled behind her and pulled up the chain around Sheryl's neck.

"Deculture! Did the Princess propose?" exclaimed Tadyana as she held the ring between her fingertips.

Sheryl paled and clutched at her hand. "Mind your own business!"

Two letters were engraved on the inside rim and she read it aloud. "R loves S." She stared at Sheryl with disgust and accused her. "You already have someone and you're still stringing the Princess along!?"

"Give it back!" yelled Sheryl angrily.

She quickly unlatched the chain and stood up with the ring in her hand. "You two-timer! You're not worthy of this!" She tossed it over the campfire towards Aris.

Aris reached out to catch it, but something swooped down and caught it in midair. When she looked up, she tumbled off her log in horror.

Sheryl simply stood up and held out her hand. Hope deposited the ring in her palm. She slipped it onto the ring finger of her right hand. Then she turned towards Tadyana and extended her left hand.

"The chain, please." Despite the courteous words, there was no politeness in her command.

With a shaking hand, Tadyana placed it on her upturned palm.

"Do you know this thing?" asked Eriko who had the slingshot in her hand.

"It's my pet," replied Sheryl.

"Has it been following us?"

"Yes, but at a distance."

"Can't you leave it at home?"

"It wants to be near me."

"Does it understand you? You didn't even say anything to it."

Internally, Sheryl berated herself. The captain was more observant than she thought. She did not want to explain the fold link to them, at least, until she trusted them. Frantically, she made up a reason. "It's... uh... trained to fetch my ring... that's why it came out and grabbed it."

Those blue eyes assessed her. Then the captain slipped the slingshot in her belt. "Just don't let Neumann see it."

"He won't. And for the record, I'm not dating Alto." There, that should shut them up.

For the rest of the evening, the team did not speak to her as much. Once in a while, Aris would look up and scan the nearby trees. Sheryl secretly laughed at her paranoia. She welcomed the quiet evening and restored the ring to its place around her neck during her sponge bath. When she was ready to sleep, she waited eagerly for Ranka's visit.

* * *

The next morning, Sheryl's shoulder had swelled up more. It hurt to move her arm up. Meanwhile, Tadyana was able to limp without Aris' help. However, their slow pace put them behind schedule.

Steadily, they trudged on, hoping that they could make it by the end of the fifth day. They were hiking along somberly when all of the sudden, Aris was yanked off her feet.

"H-HELP!" screamed Aris as she was dragged along the ground by a vine around her leg. Her hands clawed the ground frantically.

"Aris!" cried Tadyana who half ran to her side and grabbed her hands. She was dragged along as well in a futile tug-of-war.

Eriko ran up with her blade out and hacked at the vine. Suddenly, more vines came out and whipped at her. She beat them off with her walking stick.

As Kanagi rushed in to help, the bushes gave way to their true enemy. A giant plant with a round head and thorny fangs trampled the brush and extended more vines. The vines wrapped around Aris and lifted her off the ground.

"Aris!" Tadyana vainly tried to hold on, but her grip slipped. She watched helplessly as Aris dangled in midair above the plant's fangs. The plant opened its huge mouth.

"Nooooo!!!" Tadyana rushed forward and hacked at the numerous vines with her blade. Despite her efforts, Aris fell into its mouth.

"Tadyanaaaa!" screamed Aris as she reached towards her.

The redhead howled a meltran battle cry and renewed hacking away.

"Wait! Stop!" Sheryl pushed her aside and dived under the vines towards the roots.

"Pink! What are you doing? Come back!" yelled Eriko.

"It's ok! Just keep it busy!" replied Sheryl as she crawled to the junction between the roots. She grasped the first tuber and began to stroke it.

This time, the vines surrounded Kanagi. Frantically, Eriko batted them away. The vines whipped around her in response, but a few seconds later, they grew limp and began to retreat. Eriko took the moment to pull Kanagi away from the plant.

Meanwhile, the vines around Tadyana were retreating as well. However, she still continued to hack them.

"Captain! Stop her!" yelled Sheryl from between the plant's enormous roots.

Eriko ran over and caught her wrist. Then she bent her knee behind Tadyana's to make her lose her balance. She managed to drag the taller girl away.

"Let go! I have to save her!" struggled Tadyana.

"Hold on! Pink's trying something!" When she continued to struggle, Eriko was forced to pin her to the ground. She looked up to check on Sheryl.

Sheryl was rubbing two tubers now. Already, the roots were relaxing into the ground. A few feet away, she saw Kanagi crouching. Her body was shaking, but her eyes looked at her inquiringly.

"Go ahead," coaxed Sheryl.

Cautiously, Kanagi crawled to another set of roots and her trembling hands rubbed a couple of tubers as well.

About half a minute later, the plant was motionless and its mouth hung ajar. Eriko released Tadyana who immediately went to the mouth. Sheryl grabbed her arm before she touched the plant.

"Let's do it slowly," instructed Sheryl.

Together, they pulled the lower lip down. As Aris tumbled out, Kanagi caught her.

Tadyana took her from Kanagi and cradled her in her arms as she sat down. Tears pooled on the lower lids of her eyes and she blinked them back rapidly. She shook the silver haired girl gently. "Aris!"

Eriko checked her vitals and exhaled with relief. "She's breathing and her pulse is steady."

"She's just asleep. She probably inhaled the pollen. If you inhale too much, you fall asleep." Sheryl knelt next to her and removed her pack. She opened it and pulled out a sandwich bag. "Aha! I thought so... it was attracted to this."

Kanagi looked over her shoulder. "It just wanted berries?"

"These aren't ordinary berries. This plant needs these to get fertilized. See those tubers between its roots? Those are buds. These berries have the seeds that will fertilize the buds, so it needs to eat them."

"I don't remember seeing this in any lecture," said the vice-captain.

Sheryl shrugged. "Maybe the school didn't get the latest report."

"And you did?"

She knew from watching Vajra larvae play with the plant and getting further details from Ai. The larvae would lull it to sleep with their tails and then crawled on its head. When it woke up, the larvae went along for the ride. It annoyed Ai sometimes because she had to look for them. However, Sheryl did not want the team to know details about her relationship with the Vajra. She decided to concoct another excuse. "I know the biologist who studies alien plants. He sends me his new discoveries."

"That's useful," said Eriko who put an arm around Aris and lifted her up. "Let's get out of here before it wakes up.

"Wait... I have an idea," said Sheryl.

The team listened to her suggestion. Their reactions were mixed.

"That sounds crazy..." said the captain who seemed skeptical.

"It does... but it just might work!" exclaimed the vice-captain with a note of excitement.

"Isn't it dangerous?" asked Green who eyed the long thorns.

"It'll be fine. It's not carnivorous. Besides, if it really wanted to kill you, it would strangle you with its vines," explained Sheryl.

"Let's vote then. All in favor, raise your hand," said Eriko. Everyone did, including Aris whose hand was raised by Tadyana.

"She'd do it," quipped redhead cheerfully.

* * *

"Woohoooo!!! Gogogogogogo!!!" crowed Tadyana as she held onto the reins. On her lap, she cradled the still sleeping Aris.

The huge plant lumbered forward, trampling bushes and knocking down small trees with its sturdy roots. Its trimmed vines reached out to a bunch of berries suspended at the end of a long branch, but Tadyana kept the berries at a distance.

On the newly leveled trail, the rest of the team jogged behind them. If all went well, they could make up the lost time.

"Don't forget to let it have some if it gets bored!" reminded Sheryl as the distance between them and the plant grew wider.

"I will! See y'all at camp!" replied Tadyana.

Eventually, they lost sight of the plant as it went downhill. They paced themselves with a combination of hiking and jogging on the trail. When the sun began to set, they grew concerned that they had not found camp yet. It grew dark enough that they were forced to make some torches to light their way. Their worries went away when they finally found Tadyana and Aris by a campfire. Rations were warming over it.

"You were supposed to camp at dusk," complained Eriko as she accepted a tin plate of rations and a cup of water.

"Sorry. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity," replied Tadyana with a smug smile.

"But how were you able to see?" asked Kanagi.

"I used the flares. The berries lasted long enough to get us this far."

The captain's eyes narrowed. "So you're confident enough that we won't need the flares?"

"Oh yeah. Come over here," gestured Aris.

They followed Aris who pushed aside some brush. All eyes followed her pointing finger. In the distance, the moonlight reflected off something metallic.

"I think that's our bus," declared Aris proudly. "It's just downhill from here, across that meadow and through that patch of forest."

The vice-captain cracked her knuckles. Her eyes were bright with challenge. "It's the homestretch. What do you say?"

"Let's go for it," replied Sheryl excitedly.

"B-but to walk in the dark..." started Kanagi.

"Dangerous. I agree. If we're not careful where we step, we might miss the edge of solid ground," said Eriko. Despite her cautious words, those blue eyes flashed with daring. "But based on what happened so far, walking in the dark doesn't sound too bad."

"Vote on it?" suggested Aris.

The captain nodded. "Those in favor of going on tonight, raise your hand." When everybody did, she grinned wolfishly. "It's settled then."

She held out a fist towards them. "Let's go, Phoenix Squadron!"

Five fists met in the center. "Let's go!"

They had a quick dinner and made their preparations. Eriko made a makeshift spear by lashing the extra blades and wire saw on a long branch to use for hacking into the brush. Kanagi and Sheryl prepared torches to carry. With a bit of persuading, Tadyana agreed to be carried by Aris who would switch with Kanagi when she got tired.

They started with Eriko scouting ahead and clearing the brush while Kanagi lit their way ahead and Sheryl took up the rear. Their pace was dictated by Aris who half-walked and half-jogged.

All seemed to be going well until they finished crossing the meadow. Suddenly, Sheryl felt Hope's presence in her mind. The feeling that she sensed from her was fear. She looked around. When she did not see anything out of the ordinary, she reassured Hope. However, she maintained her guard.

About fifty paces into the forest, something swooped down from above. Sheryl poked her torch upwards. There was a flutter and a gust of air.

"What's wrong, Pink?" asked Tadyana who was on Kanagi's back.

"Everyone! Something's out there!" warned Sheryl. She looked around nervously.

"Let's hurry," urged Eriko who probed the ground before her.

They had gone about 50 yards when something swooped in front of Eriko. In response, she slashed at it with her spear. Something furry fell to the ground and there was a shrill cry with the beating of wings. Aris raised the torch high.

Up on a nearby tree perched several batlike creatures with a cat's face and a long furry tail. One was licking its bloody tail. The largest one spread out its four wings and screeched.

"Catbats! Run!" cried Aris. Although small, a catbat's bite was potent enough to paralyze a man for a week.

They raced through the forest as fast as they could. Sheryl hovered near Kanagi and Tadyana. Whenever the catbats flew near, she waved the torch. However, it did not scare them enough. One managed to land on Tadyana's pack.

"Get it off!" cringed Tadyana in fear of getting bit.

Sheryl swung the torch and hit the catbat. The smell of burnt fur filled the air as it screeched away in pain.

Out in front, Eriko sliced and swung while Aris parried with torches.

They kept running until Tadyana yelled, "You've done enough! I'll go on foot!" With that, she hopped off her back. Kanagi fell on her knees panting.

Aris planted the torches on the ground. "I'll carry her!"

"I can..." protested the redhead.

"Shut up and let me carry you!" ordered Aris.  
Sheryl blinked. It was the first time that she saw Tadyana so cooperative.

"Just a little bit more... You can do it!" coaxed Eriko who was fighting off the catbats.

Kanagi took several deep breaths before standing up on her own. Then she picked up Aris' torches.

They started to race once again, half stumbling through the brush. Eriko lashed out at the branches wildly to clear the way. Kanagi and Sheryl fended off the catbats while Tadyana warned them when they attacked.

Aris was so much faster than Kanagi. Sheryl's lungs felt like they were going to burst and her leg muscles burned with exertion. Mindlessly, she kept putting one foot in front of the other while flailing the torch to keep the catbats away.

Finally, they burst through the forest and ran towards the trailers and bus. Sheryl glanced behind them to see the outline of about a dozen catbats against the starry sky.

"They're following us!" she yelled.

And that was how Mr. Neumann found them. He stood at the trailer's door for a moment before going back in. When he came out again, he began to shoot with a rifle. There was a screech above them before a dark form fell to the ground and flopped about. Sheryl sidestepped it and kept running forward.

Mr. Neumann held the trailer door open. "In here!"

They tossed the torches away and ran up the stairs. They rushed in and collapsed on the floor in exhaustion. Mr. Neumann closed the door behind them and shot out of a window. When he was done, he closed the window and surveyed them.

They were all covered with green stains and their clothes were torn here and there, but Aris looked the worst. Her clothes seemed like she was dragged through mud and there seemed to be a dusting of pollen in her hair. He also noted the makeshift brace on Tadyana's ankle and Sheryl's sling.

His eyes shifted to the blades on Eriko's branch. They were smeared with blood and sap.

"You girls had a lot of guts running through the forest at night. You've attracted more catbats."

"More...?" asked Sheryl curiously.

"Yes. They've been eating our garbage at night for the past three days."

"Wait a sec... Doesn't that mean that they've already been hanging around here in the first place?" she pointed out.

Mr. Neumann thought for a moment and then coughed into his hand. "You girls must be tired. The shower's over there if you want to take a bath. Towels and uniforms are in the cabinet. Anyway, congratulations on completing the test. I'll go warm up some dinner for you."

He shook their hands in turn. The team stared as he went into the kitchen and closed the door.

"The nerve of the guy," whispered Tadyana in consternation.

"Yeah..." Aris was already leaning her head on the sofa with her eyes closed.

"Who needs to shower first?" asked Eriko.

"Go ahead, Black," said Tadyana, this time with a tone of respect.

"After you, captain," urged Sheryl.

"Please go first," said Kanagi.

Eriko nodded. She held out her fist before them. "Phoenix squadron, mission status?"

They all smiled widely and met their fists with hers. In one voice, they declared, "Mission complete."

* * *

Continued in Flight 104: Turbulence Ahead.

* * *

Chapter 3 references are available on my homepage, under the Macross Frontier category.


	4. Flight 104: Turbulence Ahead

**Flight 104: Turbulence Ahead**

"Here you go," offered Mr. Neumann. "Full marks plus 28 points for making it before the deadline."

Five heads clustered around the digipad in Eriko's hands. Grins broke out at the same time and the high-fives flew through the air.

"Alright!"

"We did it!"

"Yes!"

Mr. Neumann chuckled and waited for them to settle down. "Now then, about the matter of Team P... according to the radar, your team was closest when I picked them up. What happened?"

They told him what happened. His face grew stern. "That was brave, but also stupid. You girls could've died! You should've used the trackers to call for help!"

"I was afraid that they would take a hostage if they saw the helicopter coming. I decided not to call for help. It's my poor judgment and doesn't involve the rest of the team," explained Eriko.

"Good thing you know. 20 points off on your score for endangering your team."

"Hold on! I agreed with her and went along with her plan!" said Sheryl.

"Then 5 points off on you for endangering yourself." He held up a hand to silence further protests. "However, your team saved Team P from escaped prisoners. It's not a fair exchange, but I'm allowed to award each of you an extra 10 points for saving them."

"Why were they in the forest?" demanded Aris.

"There was a breakout at San Quentin a few days before. The police managed to roundup most of the inmates, but some got away."

"A-are the boys ok?" asked Kanagi.

"We rushed them to the hospital. Bruises and some skull fractures and concussions. By next Monday, at least three of them can come back for camp. They're lucky that they weren't stabbed."

"And the other two?"

"It's up to the doctors to decide. Don't worry about them. They're in good hands now. You should worry about yourselves. You only have till Monday to recuperate."

"Once I'm in a suit, I'll be fine," said Tadyana confidently.

"M-mr. Neumann, how many teams made it?" asked Kanagi.

"14 out of 20 so far. The other teams have until midnight to finish. Anyway, you girls rest up. I'm heading out to help the other proctors." Mr. Neumann picked up the digipad and left the room.

Tadyana hopped over to the common room's sofa and lay down with her injured ankle elevated. "So what now, Black?"

"You know the drill. Aerial training's next. We could take his advice and rest. Or we could go over the maneuvers."

Red held out her hand with the middle fingers together while the pinky and thumb spread outward. "Do we need to vote?"

Sheryl's left hand flew up in a similar position. "Let's fly!"

Aris and Kanagi smiled and their hands joined Sheryl's. Eriko grinned widely and her hand flew up to lead the formation.

"Phoenix squadron, Star Cross."

* * *

Sheryl flopped down on her bunk bed. Even though she shared a room in the barracks, she was grateful that she had her own bed. Across the room, Kanagi was sleeping soundly. The soft tapping from the top bunk indicated that Eriko was doing something on her digipad.

With a flick of her wrist, she checked the time. FRI 10:12 PM. She slipped under the covers and closed her eyes. Her thoughts flew to her beloved.

"Ranka?"

After several attempts, Ranka's image hugged her in reply. "Sheryl! How's your shoulder?"

"The x-ray showed no fractures, thank god. There's some minor tissue damage though. I'm wearing a shoulder brace and sling to prevent it from moving too much."

"That's good! Here's a little trick to make it heal faster." Ranka kissed her injured shoulder and then her lips. Slowly, she lowered her Fairy to the grassy ground of the meadow.

The feel of her Cinderella seemed so real that by the time she drew away, Sheryl felt breathless. Red-orange eyes gazed at her adoringly. Her fingertips caressed the pale, smooth skin of her face. "I once thought that this virus was a curse, but without it, I could never be with you like this."

Pert lips tickled her fingertips. "Then prepare yourself, 'cause I'll never leave you alone."

Those words brought tears to her eyes and she kissed her Cinderella deeply. They had first discovered that it was possible to feel during the link when Ranka slapped her during the battle for the Vajra homeworld. But this time, instead of feeling pain, they experimented with sensing pleasure.

Hands wandered all over that petite body, feeling its subtle curves. The sensations in the fold link were not the same as reality, but it was more intense than a dream.

She guided Ranka to the ground and lay on top of her. The setting sun cast a golden ochre color on the meadow grass, which contrasted colorfully with that verdant silky hair. Red-orange eyes reflected a shade of pale blue.

To be so close despite being so far was a blessing indeed. "Being able to be here with you like this... it's the second best thing that happened to me."

"What's the first?" asked Ranka, her heart beating rapidly with mixed anxiety and hope.

"Do you have to ask?"

As warm and luscious lips caressed her own, Ranka received her answer. Her hands threaded through those golden-coral locks. Although she could sense her Fairy, it was a shame that she could not get the full effect. Since piano training would start next week, she wondered if she would be allowed to visit her. When her lips were released from that rapturous embrace, she took the chance to ask.

"Are they still testing you tomorrow?"

Lips teased the crook of her neck. "No... the tests... start on Monday."

Ranka gasped at her ministrations. "Then... what are you... doing tomorrow?"

She shrugged. "I don't know... it's our free time."

"You have free time...?" repeated Ranka slowly.

The realization shocked Sheryl for a moment.

"Can I see you tonight?"

"Can I see you tonight?"

They stared at each other in surprise. Then they broke out in laughter at their simultaneous thoughts.

"How about we meet at the carrier at 10:45?" suggested Ranka.

Sheryl opened her eyes. The top bunk light was still on. "How about 12? The captain's still awake. I don't want her to see me packing my linen."

"Don't worry about that! I'll bring what we need. Just get over there!"

"Alright!" She kissed her excitedly and caressed her cheek. "I'll see you soon."

"Don't be late..." Ranka's image faded as the link ceased.

Sheryl threw off the covers and got up. Eriko glanced in her direction.

"Having trouble sleeping?"

"I forgot to go to the bathroom," lied Sheryl.

Eriko nodded and returned to reading her digipad. Sheryl put on her shoes and went out to the hallway. When she did not see anyone, she cautiously made her way out of the barracks and at the same time, summoned a Vajra.

Once outside, she slipped into the shadows and made her way towards the rendezvous point with the Vajra.

"Going somewhere, Pink?" came a voice from above.

Alarmed, Sheryl looked up to see Aris' face from a nearby tree. "I... uh... was just taking a walk..."

"I'll join you." Before she could protest, Aris somersaulted off the tree and landed with cat-like grace. Then she pocketed the small phone in her hand.

Trapped, Sheryl had no choice but to walk with her. After walking for ten minutes, Aris spoke.

"We should head back."

Anxious to get rid of her, Sheryl acquiesced. They went back to the barracks. When they passed the common bathrooms, Sheryl tried again.

"You go ahead. I need to go."

"Ok."

Sheryl made a pretense of going and even flushed the toilet. Then she listened quietly for movement in the hallway. When she heard none, she went out and walked to the back exit. As she pushed the barracks door, a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Aren't you done going to the bathroom?"

She turned to her left to see Eriko emerging from the shadows. Footsteps on her right announced Aris' presence.

"How... how did you know?" asked Sheryl as she backed away from them.

"After talking to Red and Silver, we decided to keep an eye on you. None of the male pilots were likely to be your lover, so he's probably not on the airbase." She walked up to her and looked her straight in the eye. "I'm sorry, Pink, but I'm going to hold you to your promise. Even though you're a first-year and ranked dead last, you're here. Some aerial tests will rank us as a team, so I can't risk anyone performing below her potential."

"But can't it wait till tomorrow?" asked Sheryl desperately.

"I just received clearance to use the airbase's simulator and wind tunnel," said Eriko. She checked her watch. "If we set aside 6 hours for sleep, 1 hour for meals and 1 hour for hygiene, that gives you over 30 hours of practice before Monday."

"Wait a second, I'm still injured!"

"None of the maneuvers require you to lift your arm. But as an extra precaution, I can lock the shoulder joint on your suit. You won't be able to move your upper arm, but your lower arm can move."

"Even though I promised..." protested Sheryl at first, but when the combined stares of Eriko and Aris attacked her, her complaints died in her throat. It was then that she realized that the captain was not in her pajamas anymore. She hung her head and sighed. "When do we start?"

A smug smile spread over Black's face. "So nice of you to ask... follow me."

As she followed them, she opened the fold link. Ranka was already at the carrier and was obviously not happy to hear the news. She apologized profusely.

When the link fell silent, Ranka stared at the stony ground of the crater for several seconds. Then she kicked the bag of linen. It landed about ten feet away with a dull thud.

Her scream of frustration echoed on the crater's walls. "Why are pilots so hard to date?!"

* * *

Another yawn escaped from her mouth as she held on to the tether. She could not believe that she was here at 6 in the morning. Across the wind tunnel, Tadyana and Eriko manned the control booth. The helmet's speaker crackled.

"Phoenix Pink, wind activation in ten seconds," said Tadyana.

"Roger."

Tadyana counted down. Sheryl watched the airspeed on the HMD. When it was strong enough, she started the engines and let go. She gripped the controls sticks in the arm compartments and adjusted the ailerons and flaps for the proper bank angle.

"Level flight sustained," reported Sheryl.

"Execute Immelmann turn when ready."

"Roger."

They spent the morning going over basic maneuvers. By lunch, Sheryl was glad for a break. As she stepped out of the suit, her legs felt unsteady and she swayed for balance. A firm hand caught her left arm.

"Hey, be careful! One lame pilot is enough," said Tadyana jokingly as she leaned on her crutches.

She sat down on the bench with relief. Eriko put two boxed lunches next to them.

"Here's your lunch. Tadyana knows your flying best. She'll work with you while I work with Green."

Sheryl blanched. She assumed that the captain would be overseeing practice. As Eriko left the room, she felt chills run down her spine.

Tadyana picked up a box and sat across from her. She took a bite. "What are you doing? Hurry up and eat. You're still not there yet."

A drop of sweat rolled down her forehead. As she ate her lunch, she hoped that Tadyana would not bully her.

* * *

"Were you dropped in a zentran matrix!?" yelled Tadyana. "I keep telling you to go easy on the control sticks and bleed off speed gradually!"

Sheryl cringed as Red continued her tirade. The HMD replayed her last data.

"Now, look here... this is where you jerked the left control stick... see how the bank angle changed abruptly? And then over here, you can see the huge effect it had on the climb..."

She tried her best to listen, but Red was not a very encouraging teacher. As practice went on, a vein began to grow on her temple. Finally, she burst out.

"Why should it matter as long as I get through?"

Ironically, Red replied in a calmer voice. "Do you know why Meltrandi are called in when hundreds of zentran troops can't take out a problematic enemy squadron? I'll tell you why. A Meltran Queadluun-Rau squadron can swoop in and take them out without any prior experience of fighting them before. And it's not because of superior weaponry. A Q-Rau is just a useless machine without a pilot. It's because the pilot flies the Q-Rau efficiently and effectively to outmaneuver and to adapt to the enemy. Zentran troops operate by sheer numbers and firepower to win, but a Meltran Queadlunn-Rau squadron claims victory with coordinated hits and mobility. So it's not about equipment. It's about control."

"Your suit is the latest model and is way more responsive than mine. You got to master it instead of letting it master you! So stop charging recklessly and muscling your way through maneuvers! It might get you to pass by the hair of your neck, but it sure isn't enough to meet my standards or Black's."

Sheryl gritted her teeth and glared at Tadyana in the control booth.

"Having a clear head also helps. Let's break here."

* * *

Somehow, she made it through until dinner. While she was taking off her suit, Aris came in.

"Here's yours," said Aris as she offered a pile of decals.

The shoulder decals showed an image of a phoenix with its wings spread. Its body was a base of red with pink highlights. It was crowned with black feathers while its wings were silver. Its tail sported green highlights. Under the phoenix was the number five, which was pink with a black outline.

Her eyes glowed with delight as her fingers traced the official callsign. "Phoenix-5..."

"That's right. I'm Phoenix-3. See you at mess, Pink." Silver slapped her on the back and left.

Excited, Sheryl spent the next few minutes aligning the decal on the shoulder pad. When she was satisfied, she peeled it off and carefully stuck it into place. Then she stood back and admired her handiwork. By the time she got to the mess hall, the team was halfway done with dinner.

"What took you so long?" asked Aris.

Sheryl wolfed down some mashed potatoes. "Sorry... I got carried away with the decals..."

"Couldn't you wait until after dinner to do them?" scolded Eriko. "You only have twenty minutes left before the chefs take the food away."

"You're one to talk. You spent thirty minutes measuring and lining them up to the marks you made," teased Aris.

"I have to set a good example as captain. By the way, how was she?"

"Stubborn as a mule, but if you don't mind being a broken record, she'll get the idea," replied the vice-captain.

"Hey! You didn't have to say it like that!" yelled Sheryl with indignation.

"Sorry, Pink. I don't know how to coddle like instructors do."

"We don't have a lot of time. Bear with her corrections and just do it," said Eriko calmly. "You're her wingman, so you two have to get along."

"Eh?! When was this decided?"

"Just now. Also, I want to go over your corrections. We'll be doing team maneuvers in the afternoon, so work on as much as you can in the morning."

After dinner, she sat down with Tadyana and Eriko and went over a long list. Eriko marked several entries.

"Make sure she does these right, especially landing. She has a tendency to pitch forward on touchdown. I also agree with your suggestions for her suit adjustments."

"Will do," responded Tadyana.

They practiced in the wind tunnel that evening and returned for more practice in the morning. After lunch, they assembled at Field A51.

Eriko's suit sported the distinctive black and yellow trim for squadron captains. As expected, her callsign was Phoenix-1. As vice-captain, Phoenix-2 belonged to Tadyana. Her number two was red outlined in black. Similarly, Aris' and Kanagi's numbers were silver and green with a black outline. Except for the captain, their suits also had trim matching their colors.

Eriko opened the portable recording system that would gather data. She synchronized it with their IFFs and HMDs.

"We'll go over combat maneuvers. One team will be the attackers and the other will be bogeys. Silver, Green, you're team A. Red, Pink, you're team B. If I'm with Green, we'll be team C."

The captain gave instructions and explained the rules of engagement. Then she announced the combat maneuvers to execute.

The sun was setting by the time the captain ended training. After dinner, Sheryl spent more time in the simulator with Red. Around 10 PM, the vice-captain ended the session.

"Much better than Friday," remarked Tadyana with a pleased tone in her voice. Then she hastily added, "But still not there yet."

It was the closest thing to praise from the obnoxious Red, so Sheryl gratefully accepted it.

"So, what are we doing after this?"

"Go back and rest," replied the redhead.

"No drills?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

To make sure, she wanted to ask the captain directly. However, Eriko was not in their room. Kanagi did not know where she was either.

"She told me to get some rest. She also said that she had some business and won't be back till midnight," replied Kanagi.

Sheryl's heart was racing. Did this mean that she actually had free time? Before she lost her chance, she talked to Ranka. They agreed to meet in thirty minutes.

Her entire body was trembling as she left the barracks. On top of the wind tunnel, her summoned Vajra waited. She only had to climb the stairs to the rooftop.

"Is that you, Nome?"

She turned around to see Mr. Neumann. Surprisingly, Eriko and a male pilot were following him. Even more surprising was Eriko's scowling expression, which replaced her usually calm one.

"Although I applaud your enthusiasm, you shouldn't burn yourself out before real training begins. It's late. Come along," ordered Mr. Neumann.

Sheryl helplessly followed him. Along the way, he found other pilots. When they arrived at the female barracks, he wished them good night. Sheryl lingered long enough to see him slide an access card on the reader by the door and punch a few keys.

"What's he doing?"

"Setting the alarm," replied Eriko.

"Does that mean that the doors will be locked?"

"Not just the doors, but the windows as well." A blue eye peered from under those dark bangs. "If I were you, I wouldn't sneak out."

The captain paused before continuing, "I'm sorry. I miscalculated. The airbase is just letting us borrow the grounds for a week. They don't like students running around at night, so the teachers have to make sure that everyone is in the barracks at lights out. Neumann made his rounds around midnight last year. I should've told Red to finish an hour earlier. Now we're all paying the price."

"We?"

"It's not fair that only Aris and Tadyana get R&R."

It took at least a minute before she understood. "Ah! That's your boyfriend!? You were making out?"

"Took you long enough. And don't be so loud. Everyone will hear you."

"Isn't there any way to bypass the alarm?"

"None."

They reached their room and opened the door. The sight before them made their jaws drop.

Kanagi and a pink-haired meltran were standing in the middle of the room. Even though hot chocolate dripped from one of the cups that Kanagi held in her hands, they were still locked in deep kiss.

The captain cleared her throat and the pink-haired girl pulled away quickly. She stared at them for several moments before she grabbed the dripping cup and gulped it down. She gave it back to Kanagi.

"Thanksforthechocolate! GoodnightKanaIchijyo!" said the girl in rapid-fire speech. Then she ran out of the room.

"Good night, Hitczewskey," replied Eriko calmly. She stepped aside as the pink-haired girl ran by.

Kanagi broke out of her trance and chased after her. "W-wait! A-akiha!"

The pink-haired girl bounded up the stairs and was out of sight. Only then did Kanagi acknowledge Eriko and Sheryl.

"C-captain! Y-you came back early!"

"Sorry, the higher-ups aborted my mission. Don't worry. There'll be other chances later." She patted Kanagi on the back and whispered, "Maybe next time, you'll share more than just hot chocolate, hmm?"

Kanagi blushed to her ears. "C-captain!"

They cleaned up the spill and got ready for bed. As she sat on her bunk, Sheryl hung her head. Ranka was not going to like this. She opened the link.

"It's not your fault," said Ranka as her hair lost its usual bounce and fell limply along her cheek. "They're really strict with you. Anyway, I better head back. Good luck tomorrow." She kissed her good night and broke the link.

"She handled it better than I thought," wondered Sheryl. She rubbed her temple. "I'll make it up to her somehow..."

That should have been the end of it, but Ranka's disappointed face filled her vision as she tossed in bed. An hour later, she asked Ai.

"She in bed. Very sad," said Ai.

She was afraid of that. "May I see?"

Ai opened her mind. Ranka was lying in bed with her back toward Ai. Sheryl concentrated on receiving Ai's senses. Then Ranka shuddered and a soft sob reached her ears.

"Sheryl..."

Her heart almost stopped. Through her carelessness, she had caused Ranka pain even though her Cinderella made so much effort to comfort her during the past week. In the link, she fell to her knees.

"Sheryl sad too? Why sad?"

"I promised to see her last Friday, but I couldn't come. And today, I did the same thing..."

"Then see now. Come now."

"I can't... they... my instructors won't let me."

"We are here." Without warning, Ai expanded the link. An image of Ranka materialized.

Ranka sat up and turned. Her puffy eyes focused lazily. "Huh? What's wrong, Ai-chan... Sheryl?!" Her hand went up to her mouth.

Sheryl caught her in her arms. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." Words tumbled out repeatedly as tears brimmed in her eyes.

"D-don't cry..." said Ranka in a cracking voice. "Or else... I'll cry too."

For about half a minute, they wept together. Eventually, they calmed down. Sheryl drew back and wiped Ranka's tears. "I really miss you. If only I wasn't caught..."

Slender fingers tapped her lips. "I know... don't blame yourself. You already apologized." Those red-orange eyes stared at the ground. "It's just me... I get depressed easily."

She hugged her. "Then let it out. Hit me... scream at me... do anything but hold it in!"

Ranka kissed her cheek and leaned her head on the Galaxy Fairy's shoulder. "I can't do that to you. Don't worry about me. I'll deal with it on my own. Besides, just having you here now made me feel better. So get some rest. You're the one in the pilot's course."

She kissed her Cinderella. "I will. And I'll make it up to you, ok?"

They held each other quietly for a while until Ranka's link faded. Sheryl guessed that she fell asleep. She turned to Ai. "Can you keep an eye on her and cheer her up for me?"

"Ok. Good night," said Ai.

"Good night," replied Sheryl.

At this point, she thought that she could sleep peacefully. However, annoying sounds were coming from Aris and Tadyana's room even past midnight. She shifted uneasily in her bunk, trying to ignore the warmth between her thighs.

"If we had some, it wouldn't be so bad," said Eriko softly. "They're not going to stop anytime soon. Do you want earplugs?"

"No, that's ok." Then a thought occurred to her. "Why do you have those anyway?"

"Have you ever slept in the barracks before?"

"No."

A soft chuckle escaped her lips. "Then you wouldn't know... I bring them in case of snoring roommates and in this case, loud neighbors. Are you sure you don't want some?"

"No, thanks." Sheryl held the pillow over her ears and buried her envy. Perhaps, this was fate's way of punishing her for breaking her promise.

* * *

The pilots assembled in the barracks courtyard at dawn. Mr. Bernard addressed them from an elevated stage.

"Good morning, everyone! First of all, congratulations on those who passed the survival test. For the groups that didn't, please prepare for next year... if you still have a next year."

At his last statement, several pilots hung their heads. Mr. Bernard cleared his throat. "The format for this week is as follows: comprehensive review today, individual tests tomorrow, aerial combat on Wednesday and Thursday and team combat on Friday. Also, we have a special guest instructor."

Sheryl's jaw dropped as Ozma Lee walked onto the stage. Mr. Bernard explained that Ozma had generously accepted his request to teach and encouraged everyone to learn from him. He handed the mic to Ozma.

"Thank you, Director. I'm pleased to be here. Given these times, NUNS needs pilots, but it also needs good ones who would be assets instead of liabilities. I look forward to working with each of you very closely and figuring out which type you are." When he said those last words, Sheryl was sure that he was staring at her.

Mr. Bernard received the mic from Ozma. "Everyone, please do your best. Proctors, check attendance."

Each proctor called out his or her groups. Mr. Neumann checked his.

"Cobra squadron."

"Present," replied a skinny zentran captain with slightly green skin.

"Thunderbolts squadron."

"Uh, captain's not here, and there's only two of us."

"I'll reassign both of you to other teams. Phoenix squadron."

"Present," responded Eriko.

At the mention of their name, some of the female teams, particularly the Harpy squadron and the Wasp squadron looked at them with envy.

They followed Mr. Neumann to the training field. When they started the basic review, Sheryl looked around for Ozma. He was with some third-years. She sighed in relief. Maybe she was just being paranoid.

By mid-afternoon, they were reviewing some advanced maneuvers. Sheryl pulled out of a dive too steeply and ended up twirling head over heels. When she returned to level flight, her helmet burst with sound.

"Are you trying to kill yourself? Watch your velocity vector and brake sooner!" came Ozma's voice.

Her eyes went round in alarm. Down by the flight recording station was Ozma. He was wearing an instructor's headset.

"What are you doing!? This isn't a supermarket checkout line! Do the next one!"

Sheryl obeyed. For each maneuver, Ozma gave his corrections and scathing insults. With each one, her nervousness grew and she became more self-conscious. She wanted the lesson to end and tried to finish as soon as possible. In her haste, she squeezed the throttle lever too much during a climb, causing the engines to heat up considerably. The temperature gauge crossed to the red zone.

"Engines are delicate! Ya gotta handle 'em like virgins!" barked Ozma.

"What?!" exclaimed Sheryl who could not believe what he just said.

Meanwhile, Ozma berated himself. "Damn... now I gave her funny ideas..." He did not want to give her the idea that he approved of relationships between girls. It was all right to say that remark to guys and sometimes, Meltrandi, since their military structure segregated the females from the males. Because of that, zentraedi did not have the human aversion to homosexual relationships and were more likely to date someone of the same gender.

He smirked. His psychological warfare was working and the Galaxy Fairy was making more mistakes. "Just you wait, Nome. I'll make you wish you never enrolled in this course! This ain't a game."

He spoke into the mic again. "Forget that! Don't burn your engines out!"

Eventually, Sheryl realized that hurrying was not going to help her. She bore Ozma's criticism with all the patience that she could muster. In her concentration to do a difficult maneuver, she almost did not notice it. There was a whirring noise above her.

"Overhead collision at 1 o'clock!" yelled Ozma.

Cobra squadron was practicing above them and their teammate was careening head over heels towards her. There was no time to turn sharply, so she retracted her wings and twisted towards him. Then she curled into a ball with her hands and feet out. As soon as he hit, she allowed her arms and legs to absorb the impact. The pneumatic gears in her suit strained with the force and she quickly guided him off to the side. The resulting counter force caused her to spin.

Ozma saw the collision. Sheryl dropped like a rock towards the space shuttle hangar. He yelled into the mic, "Pull the chute!"

However, when he saw her velocity on the flight recording system, the chute would not be enough. He opened a channel. "Send rescue team to Moffett Field! Hurry!"

The suit would absorb most of the impact, but she would probably be too injured to continue. It was not part of his plan, but accidents happen. Ozma thought, "Looks like it ends here."

As she spun in midair, she was reminded of her training with the Vajra queen. The queen's words cut through her panic.

"Feel it... flow..."

She felt the swirling in her abdomen. The V-type organisms were reacting to gravity and tugged in a particular direction.

"This way... is up!" Sheryl twisted to bring her feet toward the ground and extended the suit's wings. Then she adjusted the flaps and ailerons to counter her spin.

When her spinning slowed down, she saw the hangar. Immediately, she applied the airbrakes and chute to reduce her velocity. To her dismay, her velocity was still too high. So she cut the engines and brought her knees towards her chest. She pulled up and banked sharply, dipping her left wing towards the ground as she neared the hangar. Then she pointed her feet towards the dome and blasted the foot boosters at maximum.

With a gut-wrenching rattle of metal, she landed level with the sloping dome and skidded several times with the foot wheels of her suit before skating over the dome. Against the strain of the pneumatic gears in the leg compartments, she fought for balance. Once she achieved some stability, she released the chute and turned off the foot boosters as well as the airbrakes. Then she turned the engines on to maximum thrust and set the motorized wheels to full speed. Before she ran out of roof, she leapt off by extending her bent legs and fired the boosters for additional thrust.

When her wings vibrated against the dragging wind, she swept her wings back ten degrees and continued to climb into the sky. The HMD flashed warnings about engine and booster temperatures but she ignored them, trying to put as much distance between herself and the ground to sustain a level glide.

Meanwhile, Ozma was expecting her to crash. Instead, he stood in surprised fascination as she managed to land and take off. In his mind, she had transformed into battroid mode, deflected the enemy, switched to gerwalk and landed. Then she launched from the roof and transformed to fighter mode.

Eriko and Tadyana rushed to Sheryl and flew to the left and right of her. They watched her carefully for any sign of trouble.

"Are you alright, Pink?" asked the captain.

Her heart was pounding in her ears when she broke out her adrenalin daze. "Y-yes..."

"Nome, land ASAP for crosscheck," ordered Mr. Neumann.

Sheryl complied and was escorted by Eriko and Tadyana. Some members of rescue team hovered around her when she landed. The rest were helping the Cobra squadron pilot who landed with his chute on the sandy ground.

"You two can go back to practice. We'll take care of her," said Mr. Neumann.

"But..." started Tadyana until Eriko put a hand on her shoulder.

"She'll be fine. Let them do their job," said Eriko.

Tadyana nodded and both of them returned to the sky.

Mr. Neumann spoke into the headset's mic. "Everyone, continue practicing. We're still watching you!"

The rescue team helped Sheryl out of her suit and led her to the ambulance where she sat on the cot. They began checking for injuries. Meanwhile, Sheryl tried her best to keep herself from trembling.

"Nothing broken," declared the lead paramedic. "But that shoulder... it's got some bruising. Did this happen recently?"

In a shaking voice, Sheryl explained how she got it and the treatment she received so far. The paramedic shook her head in disapproval. "Kids like you abuse your body too much! You should take care of yourself!"

"It's alright. The shoulder joint in the suit is locked, so my arm doesn't move. As long as I can use my hands, I can fly."

"In that case, let me give you a shot to reduce the swelling. In the meantime, lie on your side. Your heart rate's really high and you look pale."

Sheryl obeyed. Meanwhile, up in the sky, Eriko hailed Mr. Neumann.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Sir, but how's Nome?"

"She's not hurt and is resting right now," replied Mr. Neumann. "Don't worry. They said she'll be fine."

"Thank you." She closed the channel and reported Sheryl's condition to the rest of the team.

"Thank space!" said Tadyana.

"S-she'll be up here in no time, like always," said Kanagi.

The vice-captain could not help but smile when she remembered Pink's bullheaded determination on the simulators. "Yeah. You have to wonder where she gets her confidence. Hey, Green, can you be my wingman until she gets here? I need a partner for the Scissor."

"Sure!"

"I thought you practiced that enough last night," remarked Aris with a sly leer.

"Aris!" exclaimed Tadyana with embarrassment.

"Don't use the public channel for idle chit-chat, Silver. More practice, less talk," ordered the captain, but there was a hint of amusement in her voice.

After checking that Sheryl was fine, Ozma stared at the long black streaks on the hangar's metallic dome. Nearby, the shuttle mechanics walked out of the hangar and surveyed the streaks as well. He still could not believe that it happened.

"That girl has guts," muttered Ozma. He turned his attention on the Cobra squadron. They had done a lot of crappy flying and needed to be straightened out.

When her heart finally calmed down enough, Sheryl suited up. Thankfully, the maintenance squad had checked her suit, refueled it and even replaced the worn out foot wheels. She thanked them and blasted off the catapult. A grin graced her face when she was airborne once more.

For the rest of the day, Mr. Neumann oversaw their practice. Across the sky, she could see Cobra squadron bumbling in midair. At least, she was no longer Ozma's target for the day.

* * *

After dinner, the Phoenix squadron gathered in their room. Tadyana crossed her arms.

"'Fess up, Pink. The Major was on your case all afternoon. What did you do to him?"

"I don't know," lied Sheryl. She certainly was not telling them about Ranka.

"In any case, don't let it get to you," said Eriko as she tapped on her digipad. "Your performance wasn't the same level as yesterday. Tomorrow is the real thing. If I were you, I'd be ashamed to have scores like this on the tests."

Eriko flipped the digipad to show several graphs of data. When she saw the difference, Sheryl bowed her head and clenched her fists.

"Do you have your flight plan already?" asked the vice-captain.

"Yes," replied Sheryl. She pulled out her digipad from her duffel bag and showed her.

Tadyana reviewed the stage selections. Each pilot had to go through an obstacle course. The instructors selected the first five stages. The next five were chosen by the pilot from a list. Each stage had an adjustable difficulty rating. In general, first-years usually did ratings 1 to 3, second-years did 4 to 6 and third-years did 7 to 10. However, if the pilot was a gifted student and the chosen rating was below his ability, the instructor can increase the rating during the test.

The rating set the minimum performance requirements per year and also challenged students. Each rating above the year minimum had a multiplier, which was used to calculate the score. For the third-years, rating 8 had a multiplier of 1.25 while rating 10 had a multiplier of 2.0. If the pilot did a stage at rating 10, then his score was multiplied by 2.0. Because of the multiplier, most pilots would attempt the highest rating possible even if mistakes were made because the multiplier made up the difference. Since each stage was worth 10 points, the highest score possible would be 150 points instead of 100.

In Sheryl's case, she picked stages which required maneuvers that she was good at. The ratings were either 1 or 2.

"These are fine," said Tadyana as she returned the digipad. "Looks like I was worried for nothing."

"About what?" asked Sheryl.

"That you'd brazenly pick out the hard stages with rating 3."

"Hey, I like a challenge, but I'm not that crazy!"

The captain and vice-captains reviewed the rest of the flight plans and made suggestions. After they were done, Eriko ended the meeting.

"It's been a long day for Pink. Let's give her some R&R."

With that, they turned in for bed. As she snuggled into her pillow, Sheryl was glad for the respite. As usual, Ranka paid her a nightly visit. They talked about their day for a few minutes. Then Ranka sang for her. Within minutes, she fell asleep.

* * *

In the morning, the tests started with twenty maneuvers of the proctor's choice. Each one was graded between one to ten. With a score of 169, Sheryl was around the average for first-years. The captain and vice-captain finished with impressive scores of 192 and 188. Aris and Kanagi got 181 and 173. While they had lunch, Sheryl could not help but wonder why Eriko was not in the top five with Alto, Luca and Frankie.

The obstacle course was held in the afternoon and started with third-years. While waiting for her turn, she practiced with Kanagi in Ames field. From time to time, Aris would relay test results of certain pilots.

"Looks like Angelloni's keeping his rank. His final score is 135," reported Aris. "The captain's is just getting calculated... 137!"

Sheryl turned to Kanagi. "Seems like the captain set the bar."

Kanagi held out her fist. "W-we won't lose!"

With a metallic clang, Sheryl answered it with her left hand. They resumed practice until it was time for Kanagi's test. Sheryl went with her and wished her good luck as she flew to her stage setup.

For the obstacle course, the time limit to complete it was 60 seconds. If the pilot collided with an obstacle, 1 point was deducted. If the pilot did not complete the course within the time limit, a painful 20 points were deducted.

Kanagi was obviously nervous in stage 1 and 2 but improved in later stages. Her final score was 92.

Finally, it was Sheryl's turn along with the small group of first-years. She flew to her test area and watched as her stages were assembled by the flying droids, which generated rays of light that simulated walls. Her heart began to beat faster with nervousness.

Her helmet crackled to life. Mr. Neumann announced, "Cadets, get ready. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Go!"

Engines roaring, Sheryl sprang forward and entered stage 1. Carefully, she flew through it and watched her time. Since the time limit was 60 seconds, she had to complete each stage in 6 seconds. By the 31-second mark, she finished the first five stages. The next stages were hers and she had practiced them repeatedly. She increased her speed to make up for the lost time.

Upon entering stage 6, the corridors narrowed and lengthened. Alarm filled her heart. The HMD displayed a new rating of 3. Nevertheless, she did the best that she could but ended up with 4 collisions.

At stage 7, the same thing happened again, but the HMD reported a rating of 4. Sheryl took a quick glance at the control station. To her dismay, Ozma stood next to it. She cursed under her breath and concentrated. There was no choice but to continue.

The stage was longer and narrower than she was used to. In order to maintain time, she was forced to speed up. In her haste, she made 6 collisions. Her jaw dropped when she saw the next rating: 6.

She tried to react accordingly with the HMD updates as she did the tight turns. The resulting G-force made her light-headed and she contracted her neck muscles to avoid blackout. At a particularly tight turn, her abdomen churned in response to the increased G-force. An idea formed in her mind.

"That's right! There's more than one way to fly!" She accelerated once more and swept her wings by ten degrees.

Meanwhile, down by the control station, Mr. Neumann confronted Ozma. "Major, are you trying to fail her? This is too much!"

"It ain't. She's just been slacking off," said Ozma who kept his hand at the rating control panel.

"But Nome is just an average student!" argued Neumann.

"Can an average student pilot a VF-25 in battle?"

"What?! Please explain!"

"Later. Time's running out," said Ozma as he increased the level.

The slalom stage was last. When the course narrowed and shortened, Sheryl did not bother to look at the rating anymore. She only had 5 seconds left. With a cry of defiance, she charged ahead, feeling the swirling in her abdomen.

Wings swept back, she barrel rolled through the slalom as fast as she dared with just the feeling in her abdomen to guide her. As she spun, her vision began to dim. She contracted her neck muscles one more time and accelerated for the last section. When she finally passed the finish line, she slowed the spin and resumed level flight.

"You ok?" came Tadyana's worried voice from the speakers.

Sheryl gulped in lungfuls of air to clear her head. "N-no... I'm... not... I'm... I'm gonna... kill... him!" She dived.

Tadyana reacted quickly and blocked her way. "Calm down, Pink! I know you're angry... By Miriya, I'd be angry too! But don't do anything rash! Let's talk to Neumann and ask him to let you retake the test."

They landed near the control station. To their surprise, a sizeable group of students and proctors had gathered around Ozma and Neumann.

"...flew the VF-25 out of the Vajra battle zone to where Angelloni fought. Remember Angelloni?" asked Ozma.

"Um, yes... I saw them," replied Luca nervously. He was not sure why Ozma was telling this story. However, what happened after was embarrassing since he did not have the skill to protect them. He hoped that Ozma would not mention that part.

Ozma drove his point home. "Most cadets freeze in the middle of battle, but not Nome. She did what she could with the little training that she had and saved Blanc. If that doesn't show ya her battle instincts, I dunno what will. And then I come here and see her crappy flying yesterday. Where's that battle instinct? That's why I needed to test her."

He pointed at the test results. "Just look at the last stage."

"11!" exclaimed Neumann. "And only 3 collisions in 4.69 seconds!" Since pilots had to weave between the pylons, a decrease in speed was required to make a sharp turn. To minimize the speed decrease, most third-years opted to do an alternating vertical knife maneuver. Another alternative was the barrel roll, but it was difficult to control because it required simultaneous adjustments on all three movement axes. For Nome to do it at that velocity was amazing.

"That's right," said Ozma. "So how come she's been flying so badly? I think that she's been slackin'. I don't care if she's an idol, but if you wanna be a pilot, you gotta be serious! Foolin' around on the battlefield could cost you your life!"

"You have a point, Major. For tomorrow, I will adjust her difficulty ratings accordingly. But next time, please inform us to avoid misunderstandings." He noticed Sheryl. "Ah, here she is. Nome, I'm pleased to announce your score of 101. Well done!"

Behind him, Ozma stood with an impassive face, but his eyes declared victory. Sheryl restrained her anger and tried to sound elated over her results.

"Thank you, sir." Then she rolled away before she unleashed her rage. Behind her, Tadyana followed.

Ozma turned his attention to the next testers. In preparation for his excuse, he occasionally adjusted other pilot's stages so they would not suspect him of foul play. Sheryl's test could have gone either way and his argument could be adapted as needed. If she failed, then he would pretend to be disappointed and she could retake it. Her anxiety over the prior test would probably affect the retake. If she did well, then he would hype her so that Neumann would make it harder for her.

However, something about her flying seemed strange. He replayed her data. Compared to the previous stages, her reaction time was faster in later stages. In fact, her turn corrections happened even before the gyro feedback was displayed on the HMD. When Neumann hovered near, he quickly closed the gyro data and decided to look at it later.

While Sheryl went back to her squadron, soft whispers spread through the squads.

"Did you hear? She flew a VF-25!"

"I bet it's the new suit..."

"She could fly like that? Maybe she really is a slacker..."

She did not care about them. However, when she saw the saw the faces of her squad, her heart sank.

"Let's talk over here," said the captain with a grim expression on her face.

When they were out of earshot from the crowd, Eriko looked at her squarely in the eye. "Tell me that we didn't waste our time."

"He's twisted the story out of proportion!" fumed Sheryl. "I'm not slacking off!"

"Then what's the deal with the VF-25? Did that really happen?" demanded Tadyana.

"Ok, it did. But what you don't know was that I got shot down and I didn't even know how to eject. The AI ejected us and that's why we didn't explode with the fighter! I was just lucky!"

"Lucky or not, it happened and you flew it," said Aris. "And then there was that crazy landing yesterday. Doesn't that say something?"

A scowl formed on Tadyana's face. "I can't believe this... all that training when I could've been recuperating..." The vice-captain turned around and wheeled away. Aris followed her.

Desperation filled her. She appealed to the rest of the team. "I'm not slacking! Do you think I made a fool of myself yesterday just for fun? Why should I train like mad with an injured shoulder during ungodly hours if I could fly like that?"

"I-I believe you, Pink," said Kanagi. "Don't you, captain?"

Deep blue eyes assessed her for a few moments. Then the captain ran her hand through those dark unruly bangs. "I see two sets of data that doesn't make sense. It's like there's a novice pilot and an experienced one. You say you can't but there's data that says you could. Which am I supposed to believe?"

"I swear, captain, I'm flying the only way I know how." It was true. For the barrel roll, Sheryl practiced it a lot while learning to control Vajra. From the experience, she gained an instinctive sense of the motion.

Eriko sighed. "You've kept your promise so far. I trust you."

Tears of relief brimmed in her eyes. She blinked them back and bowed. "Thank you."

"But you're not out of the woods yet. Do you want me to talk to Red?" She turned towards Aris and Tadyana who sat on a bench by the shuttle hangar.

"Yes, please. At this point, I don't think she'll listen."

They rolled over to where Aris and Tadyana were. The captain ordered them to sit and listen to Sheryl. After Sheryl made her argument, she appealed as well.

"She's ranked dead last. As of today, I don't think that'll be the case. I think it's because of all that extra practice you spent with her."

"Well... it had better!" remarked Tadyana with a hint of waning irritation. "We spent two hours reviewing landings!"

"We're sorry for doubting you," apologized Aris. When Tadyana did not say anything, she nudged her in the ribs.

The vice-captain crossed her arms and looked away. "It's all your fault, you know... having such weird skill gaps. Just pick one level and stop confusing us!"

"I'm sure it'll be decided this week." Eriko checked her watch. "We better get going. It's time for dinner."

With that, the Phoenix squadron rolled back to the locker rooms to change.

* * *

"Ma'am is still at work, Mr. Lee," said Erenmeyer.

Ozma was surprised. It was already 11 PM. "Is it alright if I wait for her?"

"Please. Would you like some coffee?"

"Yeah. Extra black."

Ozma sat in the sitting room and watched the news. A wide grin crossed his face when the news anchor reported Wilder's promotion to Rear-Admiral by Grand Admiral Hayase. In his official admiral uniform, he looked very impressive. Ozma made a note to treat him to drinks after work. When the reporter announced the appointment of Commodore Khellen Klein to Macross Quarter, he raised his cup in salute.

The following news was more disturbing. There was a breakout at San Quentin Prison. However, the reporter assured that all inmates, including the war criminal, Richard Bilrer, were caught.

Twenty minutes later, Erenmeyer walked in. "I'm very sorry, Sir, but I have to pick up Murine and Soffie from the spaceport. They have arrived earlier than anticipated. Might you need anything?"

"Nah. I'll just watch TV," replied Ozma.

"I'll be back as soon as possible," He handed him a slip of paper. "Here's my mobile number in case of an emergency."

Ozma took it. "Thanks."

After the butler left, an idea crossed his mind. He decided to surprise Cathy, so he went upstairs to her room and found a hiding place behind heavy drapes. He watched TV while waiting.

About fifteen minutes later, the door opened. Cathy's voice echoed in the hall, calling for the butler. Quickly, he turned the TV off and hid. Footsteps thumped up the stairs and in the hallway. The door creaked open and something heavy landed on the bed.

Ozma peeked through the drapes. Cathy was facing the bureau with a picture of her father on top. She leaned her head against the bureau.

"Daddy... it's so hard..." A soft sob shook her tall frame. "I know I promised... oh, Daddy, give me strength..."

The sight wrenched his heart. Ozma went to her immediately. She must have noticed and faced him with alarm in her eyes. He hugged her tightly.

"It's alright... things will work out, I'm sure."

Cathy's restraint broke and she wept into his chest. He held her until she calmed down. Finally, she spoke.

"I made a mistake today."

"So what? Everyone makes mistakes."

"I... I ended up contradicting Lehr. Now the Frontier senators are at odds."

"Yeah, that's a problem."

"What should I do?"

"I hate to say this, but just do a public apology. Say it's overwork or somethin'" At his words, Cathy began to laugh. "Why are you laughing?"

"It's so like you to make excuses."

"Hey! I'm not..."

She kissed him to shut him up. When she drew away, she asked, "Did you bring me some pie?"

Ozma looked at her with surprise. "How'd you know?"

She leaned on his chest and inhaled deeply. "You smell sweet. C'mon, let's go downstairs."

At the dining room, they helped themselves to Ozma's homemade pineapple pie and freshly brewed zencoffee. While eating, they discussed their week so far.

"I found a great sniper recruit. Her hit ratio's 91% in flight, and no misses on stationary targets," said Ozma.

"Blanc's replacement?"

"Yeah. I also found a bunch of candidates for Pixie squadron."

"Good for you. How's Sheryl?"

Ozma hoped that she would not ask. "She's doin' ok. She managed to pass the combat tests, but just barely. She really shouldn't be playin' around as a pilot. There's no way she could take it seriously with all her work."

"It's her decision, so we'll just let her live with the consequences. If she can't handle it, then I'm sure she'll back out eventually. Are you still teaching next week?"

"Yeah, they asked me to stay on for the VF-19 training."

"I see. What about Saturday? What are you doing?"

Ozma grinned wolfishly. "Want a date?"

"Duh, of course!"

Eyes shining with anticipation, they planned their Saturday rendezvous.

* * *

Sheryl collapsed on her bunk. Although Ozma did not interfere, Neumann elevated the difficulty level. It took all she had to dodge the attack droids and score hits. It was a miracle that she did not fail.

Eriko climbed up the top bunk with feline grace. Compared to her, the captain got a perfect score on all the ground targets. The attack droids were no match for her either.

Sheryl was dozing off when a knock came from the door. Kanagi opened it.

"I'd like to borrow Pink," said Tadyana.

"For what?" asked the captain.

"Target practice."

"Ok."

Sheryl slowly got up. Her hand reached for her duffel bag for a change of clothes.

"You don't need to change. Just come with me."

She followed Tadyana to the second floor. They went into one of the common rooms and closed the door. At a corner window, the redhead took her blade and peeled off the rubbery caulk along the windowpane's edges. With the caulk gone, the pane fell into her hands.

Tadyana reached into her pack and took out a practice gun. She gave it to Sheryl and had her stand by the window. Her right hand pointed at a pine tree about thirty feet away.

"Find a pine cone and shoot it," instructed Tadyana.

Sheryl obeyed. For the next twenty minutes, the vice-captain gave her corrections.

"Looks like your arm moves when you pull the trigger. Try bracing it with your right hand. No, don't raise your arm. Just support your elbow."

Sheryl tried it and shot a pine cone. It fell to the ground.

"Nice. Keep shooting until you're out of bullets."

After the bullets ran out, Tadyana returned the pane and they walked back to their rooms.

"Tomorrow is team combat. If you shoot like tonight, you won't embarrass us," said Tadyana.

Sheryl noted the challenge in her voice. "I won't disappoint. Thanks for the practice. Good night."

"G'nite..." yawned the redhead as she went into her room.

Sheryl entered her dark room quietly and crept into her bunk. Within minutes, her mind began to drift off to sleep.

"Sheryl..."

Her mind opened into link space. The sky was tinted with a waning sunset and luminous red-orange eyes watched her adoringly. Golden grass swayed in the wind and tickled her toes and legs. A soft palm caressed her face.

"How was your day?" asked Ranka.

Her hand rose to overlap with that petite hand. "Terrible," she replied. Then she told her about her tests. Those red-orange eyes misted with guilt. Her Cinderella leaned down and kissed her.

"Oh, my poor Fairy! I'm so sorry about Ozma-nii! It's my fault! I should be honest with him!"

Her hand threaded through those verdant locks. "It's ok. I don't want you to get in trouble. I have to prove myself anyway. At least, nobody can say that Sheryl Nome got in because of looks."

"How can I make it up to you?"

She tried to guide her down, but her arms felt weak. However, Ranka noticed and lay next to her.

"Just having you here is fine."

A leer formed on those pert lips and a kiss flew to the tip of her nose. "I can do more than that."

The image shifted and reformed into an elegant room with a canopied bed. Nimble fingers began to undo the crisscrossed lace strings of her nightgown.

"This is my room in the mansion," explained Ranka.

As excitement rose within her, another idea formed in Sheryl's mind. "On second thought, let's go back to the meadow." She concentrated and the meadow returned.

Ranka stared at her in confusion for a few moments before smirking in understanding. "You're so wild sometimes..."

Sheryl winked. "We Mayans like to be close to nature. Maybe... we can go camping and..."

Before she could finish, Ranka protested, "And get arrested for indecent exposure!? No way!"

A seductive smile graced the Fairy's face. "It's only indecent if someone else sees us..." Her hands reached for Ranka's pajama buttons.

"Geez... you're impossible..." Ranka gently moved those naughty hands. She straddled the Galaxy Fairy and pulled off her nightgown. "You're tired, right? So just relax and let me do all the work."

With the cool grass against her back, Sheryl did as she was told and relinquished her body to the ministrations of her beloved.

Meanwhile, Eriko opened her eyes. Strange noises were coming from under her bunk. After the third gasp, her imagination drove her mind into the gutter.

"Is she masturbating?" she thought. With another gasp and a rustle of sheets, her curiousity tempted her to peep over the edge. On a nearby shelf, she reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of night goggles. She put them on and stealthily looked underneath.

Nome was sprawled out with her left hand over her head while her right hand was over her stomach and on top of the bedsheet. A little later, she arched, causing the bedsheet to slip off her chest. Sharp creases on nightgown's thin fabric atop those shapely mounds did little to hide what lay beneath. Her endowed chest that even meltrandi envied rose in time with her erratic breathing. Those golden-coral locks framed her flushed cheeks and graceful neck.

She had seen her in concert. She hiked with her and even slept so close to share body warmth. And yet, she had never stared at her like she was staring right now. Her eyes refused to stray from the mesmerizing sight under her bunk.

Only when her phone vibrated did her eyes break contact. It was her boyfriend. Eriko left the room to get some privacy. When she returned, Nome whimpered. Irritated, she reached out and was about to shake her. But she stopped at the last minute and decided that it might be too dangerous to touch her so she picked up her pillow instead. She whacked Nome several times.

"Wake up, Pink! You're having a nightmare!"

Arms flailed up in response to block the attacking pillow. "Wha--? Wait... stop..."

Eriko stopped. "Are you ok?" she asked with feigned concern.

Sheryl kept her left hand up. "I... I'm fine... Did I... wake you?"

"You were groaning or something. Did you have a bad dream?"

"No... not at all." Sheryl could not help but wonder what she heard or even worse, saw. "Did I... say something? Was I talking?"

"No, you were just making strange noises."

Relief calmed Sheryl's heart. She did not accidentally speak her conversation with Ranka. "I'm sorry. I'll try to sleep quietly from now on."

"It's team combat tomorrow, so I'd appreciate it if we could all get some sleep." Eriko climbed up the double bunk. She really hoped that Nome would be quiet. If she was subjected to more of that, she might not get any sleep. Even now, she tried to erase that image from her mind and replaced it with her boyfriend.

Meanwhile, Sheryl apologized to Ranka over the link interruption. "I'm really sorry."

Ranka hugged her. "No... it's my fault." She kissed those rosy lips. "I guess I went overboard."

Those red-orange eyes pleaded. "Is it okay if I sing you to sleep?"

In reply, Sheryl laid her head on her lap and melted under the adoring gaze of her Cinderella. As those gentle notes caressed her ears, her mind drifted off into dreamland.

* * *

The morning tests for team combat were made up ten matches against another squadron. The winning squad was the one with the most members remaining after fifteen minutes. If both squads had no casualties, then the match went into penalty mode at which the first team to score won. Ten points were awarded to the winning team for a possible undefeated score of 100.

With Tadyana nearby, Sheryl flew confidently and made some shots. Little by little, she noticed that more members of the opposing team were surrounding her. Frantically, she dodged their barrage of bullets Where was Red? Just then, her opponent flew close enough that there was no way she could avoid getting hit. She cringed for his shots.

Suddenly, splattering paintballs marked up his suit. His gun deactivated. The AI referee declared him shot down on her HMD. The two other opponents met the same fate. Sheryl looked around to find Red and Black flying above her.

"Hey, aren't we supposed to be paired up?" asked Sheryl angrily.

"Sorry, change of plan," said Tadyana while Eriko aimed at the opponent chasing Kanagi.

With one shot, the opponent was eliminated. Aris took care of the last one for the win.

Realization dawned on her. "I'm bait?"

"More or less," confirmed Eriko. "We can dogfight by textbook or we can use you two as bait. Based on the combat tests yesterday, you and Green have the worst hit ratios in the squad. Your evasion skills are above average, so it's better if you fight defensively. Red and I will snipe while Silver coordinates attacks."

Sheryl was not sure whether to be glad or not. She was looking forward to using her improved shooting skill, but she would not be able to do that if she kept dodging.

"You had your chance at glory yesterday, Nome. Right now, we're Phoenix squadron," said the vice-captain.

She hung her head at her pitiful performance yesterday. Then her lips drew taut with determination. If this was her contribution, then she would gladly support Phoenix squadron.

Their tactics worked well enough to earn them 90 points after their last match. High-fives flew in the sky as they cheered each other in victory. Their only loss was against Luca's squadron, the Seraphim. He saw through their tactic and countered effectively.

After lunch, they continued with the afternoon test, which was an elimination style tournament. Squadrons were pitted against each other and the winner advanced to the next round. The champion squadron was automatically qualified to train on the VF-19. The prize was met with much excitement among the pilots. The other squads were awarded points based on how many rounds they won, so even though a squad was a runner-up, there was a good chance they could qualify based on score.

Since some of the squads were aware of their bait tactic, the Phoenix squadron used a combination of classic dog fighting and baiting as appropriate. Soon, they were among the last four teams left. The winners of the round would fight each other for the championship.

Unfortunately, their opponents were the Seraphim squadron. They fought bravely but in the end, they were outclassed by Luca's superior battle strategy.

"Good match," said Luca as he shook Eriko's hand.

"Same to you," replied a disappointed Eriko.

"I hope that one day, we'll fly together as a team," said Luca cheerfully.

"That would be nice."

The Phoenix squadron landed to watch the final match: Seraphim vs. Hellhounds. It seemed evenly matched at first, but by the middle of the fight, the Hellhound ace was outmaneuvered and shot down by Luca. Without the ace, they were eliminated one by one.

Finally, the week was over. Their scores were tabulated. Eriko, Tadyana and Aris qualified for the VF-19. Mr. Neumann reviewed their test results and decided that Sheryl and Kanagi would do more combat training.

On the way to dinner, Eriko spoke. "We may be separated next week, but remember, we're still a team. So if you two have any problems, don't hesitate to ask for help."

"Thanks," said Sheryl gratefully. She did not expect to be flying the VF-19 anyway especially since Ozma was teaching. After dinner, she talked to Ranka.

"I'm so happy for you!" exclaimed Ranka as she hugged her.

Sheryl relished the contact. When she had enough, she drew back with a twinkle in her eye. "I think I found a way to bypass the alarm."

Her Cinderella stared at her with round eyes. "Then you can come tonight?"

"I hope so. But I won't take the chance of leaving you alone at the carrier again. I'll try to sneak out first and I'll give you a call by 11:30. If you don't hear from me, I probably got caught."

"In that case, don't! If you do, you'll miss this..." Ranka leaned in and gave her a deep kiss that left her breathless. "I'll pack now."

Sheryl closed the link. If all went well, she would be with Ranka by midnight. Lying in her bed, she made a show of being exhausted and waited for Neumann to make his rounds. After he left, she went to the second floor common room. There, she removed the pane from the corner window. Hope waited outside and helped her get to the ground. Carefully, she made her way to the wind tunnel's rooftop. Once there, she mounted the summoned Vajra and flew away from the airbase.

When they landed in the crater, she opened a link to Ranka excitedly. "I'm here! I made it!"

The face that appeared froze her heart. Ranka's eyes were puffy and her verdant locks seemed lifeless. She did not meet her eyes. "I-I'm sorry... I can't see you tonight."

"Ranka! What's wrong?" She reached out to hold her, but Ranka stepped away.

"I think I need some time... to think about some things. Please leave me alone," The link began to fade.

"Wait, Ra---" The link was gone. Quickly, she pulled out her phone and punched Ranka's number. After a few rings, it transferred to voicemail. She left a message.

"Ranka, whatever it is, I'm sorry. Please, tell me what's wrong! I... I really miss you..." Unable to continue, she hung up. Tears fell from her eyes.

She had no sense of how long she sat on the crater's cold ground. Eventually, the phone in her hand rang. She answered it immediately.

"Ranka..."

"It's me, Pink," said Kanagi.

"Oh..."

"T-the captain's worried about you. It's almost 1."

She checked the time: SAT 12:47 AM. "Tell her I'm coming back now."

"Ok." Kanagi hung up.

With a heavy heart, she mounted the Vajra and returned to base.

* * *

Her gloom was evident the next day. During the afternoon, Kanagi spoke to her discreetly.

"D-did you and Ranka have a fight?"

Sheryl sat up. "How do you know?"

"You answered with her name yesterday. D-don't you remember?"

She leaned her forehead on her left palm. "Not really..."

"I-is there anything I can do? Maybe I can't do it myself, b-but I have a friend in the same class as her."

"That's right!" thought Sheryl. "I can ask Nanase!"

She shook her head. "No, thanks for offering. But you did give me an idea. I have a friend in PA too, so I'll ask her to be a go-between. And please, can you keep this a secret?"

"O-ok. You can count on me."

With that, Sheryl left Kanagi and called Nanase.

"Did anything happen to Ranka last Friday?"

"Well, Ozma came to visit after dinner," replied Nanase.

Her heart sank. "Is she in trouble?"

"I don't know. Ranka went to one of the video rooms with Ozma and Brera. She didn't look too happy when she came back."

Do you know what they watched?"

"No."

She asked Nanase to keep her informed about Ranka and thanked her before hanging up. Based on what Nanase said, Ozma must have said something to her. There was no choice. She had to do something in order to make Ozma accept them.

* * *

Continued in Flight 105: Skull vs. Fairy

* * *

Chapter 4 references are listed on my homepage. See my profile for the URL.


	5. Flight 105: Skull vs Fairy

**Flight 105: Skull vs. Fairy  
**

For combat training, Sheryl joined all the first-years and some second-years at the shooting range. Their instructor was a tall zentran named Bruce Gamelin. He outlined the morning events with as few words as possible.

"I'll talk to each of you. Tell me what you want to improve. Practice while you wait your turn. You're not graded here. Take this time to learn."

Sheryl felt relief at his words. She adjusted her headset and goggles before picking up the practice gun with her left hand. Six months ago, she would not have dreamed of being here and holding a weapon. The target loomed before her. She pointed the gun at it, imagined Ozma's face and fired.

On her turn, she met Mr. Gamelin in a trailer office. He looked over her data and asked, "What do you want?"

Based on how he phrased the question, she answered in a determined voice, "I want to shoot a man down."

Like a sales clerk, he asked for specific details with such a stony expression that Sheryl wondered if he realized what she asked for. "In the ground or in the air?"

"In the air."

"With a suit or in a plane?"

"With a suit."

"Experienced or not?"

"Very experienced."

"By when?"

"By Friday, after camp is over."

He began typing into his terminal. "You'll do dogfight exercises with your suit. My assistant, Ray Ivanov will instruct you. Pick up a rail assault rifle with a forearm assist brace and paintball ammunition. Report to Ames field."

Then he pressed some keys on a control panel and spoke into a mic. "Poly Noryansky, report to my office."

Sheryl guessed that she was dismissed and walked out. She picked up her equipment, suited up and met Ray Ivanov at Ames field. He was a tall, blonde-haired man with a wiry frame and slanted gray eyes. He checked her data on his digipad.

"Dog fighting left-handed? That's tough," said Mr. Ivanov with a Russian accent. "Better to use your dominant arm. But there are still things you can do though. I'll have you start with the droids at level 3, and we'll go from there."

"Will my aim improve if I use my right?"

"Yes, your data from three weeks ago is much better than the Thursday's."

"The suit's right shoulder is locked. Can you unlock it?"

He looked at her dubiously. "I don't know... I had a dislocated shoulder before, and it took a long time to heal. I'm not a doctor, so have them look at it. If it's ok, I'll take it off. For now, use the left. Here, I'll setup the brace for you."

She allowed Mr. Ivanov to adjust the brace and rifle. When he was done, she launched from the catapult and flew to the waiting droids. As soon as he gave the go signal, she fired at the droids. The Galaxy Fairy was not going down without a fight.

* * *

The droids chased her through the sky. With deft moves, she dodged their shots and counted patiently. 18, 19, 20. It took a few seconds for the droids to switch to another cartridge, so she stalled in the sky and turned in place. Her rifle swung in an arc and she fired at an angle relative to the droids to compensate for the opposing wind direction. Three shots hit and the droids fell silent.

However, one was missing. A gush of wind came from her left. She turned quickly to see it aiming just six feet away from her. Engines in reverse, she dropped down in a steep backward pitch. Bullets sailed over her face. To prevent it from aiming, she kicked the droid with her foot. Lining up the sight with her left eye, she fired the final shot. The droid fell silent.

"Nome! Don't damage the equipment!" scolded Mr. Ivanov.

"Sorry..." breathed Sheryl heavily. "I... got carried away. What's next?"

"That's it for today. You did well. I'll set the next level to 5. If you keep going up a level everyday, you can be at level 7 on Friday."

"That's not good enough... I have to go higher."

"What? Don't be greedy. You're up a level since yesterday, so you're improving pretty quickly. There's no need to rush. Anyway, see you tomorrow." He began to turn off the droid control system.

She made a mental note to ask him for level 6 instead. Her hands gripped the rifle. "I can do it... I have to."

* * *

After two days of debating sessions, Cathy was hoping to spend a quiet evening with her uncle. To her chagrin, he continued to bring up problematic issues.

"If I were you, I would seriously challenge the Resource Allocation Act. This planet is the richest source of flow crystals. It is a gold mine waiting to be plundered. That Act would give the Earth government power over mining licenses without any consent from the Frontier government. Do you realize what this means?"

Her forehead creased in concentration. "It means... unregulated trade with Earth and no benefits to Frontier."

"Exactly. Given clause 63.2, a new world remains an Earth territory for a year in the name of stabilizing the colony. During this time, Earth can impose its law on the colonists."

"If that's the case, then there's no way out, is there?"

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "There are some possibilities. First, consider that..."

Cathy listened attentively to his ideas and realized that she really was not up to the task. It would be better if her uncle became president. However, when she brought up the topic several times, he evasively changed to another topic. When he finished his explanations, she appealed one more time.

"Don't you see, Uncle? You have a better understanding of the issues. Frontier needs someone like you."

Without warning, Felix picked up his wine glass and dropped it on the floor where it shattered into many pieces, splattering red liquid on the marble floor. Cathy was shocked at his action, since he was not a violent man. However, when he spoke, there was no violence in his words.

"Glass can be brittle or it can be strong enough to stop bullets. It can shatter and cut or it can break into small pieces to prevent injury, sacrificing itself to save. Tell me... what kind of glass are you? No... it's too early to ask you that. Rather, what kind of glass will you be?"

He paused for several seconds before continuing. "You say you lack experience? Then get some. You say that you're too young. I say let the people judge you for your deeds rather than your age. As for age, I'm already 62, just 8 years younger than Lehr and 3 years before retirement. Based on the proposed constitution, the president is in office for 4 years. Your Aunt Cire has been looking forward to moving to our condo in Hawaii. Even if I became president here, I can never convince her to come with me. My place is at her side, on Earth. Besides, I'm old, kitty Cat. Old folks like me will move on and someone has to take our place. So it's my hope to live long enough to see the next generation take control of their future."

Cathy thought about his words while the butler swept the shattered glass into a dustpan. When he was done, she spoke.

"How dare you..."

Now, it was Felix's turn to be surprised. Cathy did not take his criticism well at all and was retaliating to the perceived affront. Perhaps, he had overestimated her mental maturity.

With a disappointed tone, he responded, "I see that I had wasted..."

Her words cut him off. "You'll pay for that, Uncle. That was Mom's favorite crystal from Italy. I'm sending an expense report to your secretary."

Felix blinked. Then he regained his composure and he smiled slightly with nostalgia at the sight of that poker face and steady eyes. It reminded him of Howard. "I apologize for that, kitty Cat. I must be getting senile, breaking Cordia's wine glass. I'll ask your Aunt Cire to send you a replacement. She has a matching set that's been sitting unused in our cupboard. Our Hawaiian condo is small, so I doubt we'll take it with us."

Cathy smiled sweetly and leaned back, steepling her fingers. "Thank you, Uncle Flex. Now about the Resource Allocation Act..."

* * *

The VF-19 training proved fruitful. It was obvious which pilots were too used to the wind tunnel and were unable to handle the turbulent air currents of Frontier. Like separating chaff from grain, Ozma eliminated pilots on his candidate list. He was pleased with the remaining candidates so far and was looking forward to talking to Cathy about them.

Wheels screeching, he parked in front of the Glass mansion and got out. With long strides he walked up the marble steps and rang the doorbell. Just then, the door opened and instead of Erenmeyer, an old man stood at the doorway. With his hat and overcoat, it seemed that he was about to leave. As Ozma stared at him, his features looked familiar.

"May I help you?" asked the man.

Assuming that he was probably a servant, he replied, "I've come to see Cathy."

Cathy's voice came from behind the man. She stepped into view. "Ozma? Is that you? C'mon in."

"Kitty Cat, who is this gentleman?" demanded the old man.

"Oh, Uncle, please remember not to call me that in public," implored Cathy. "Anyway, this is Ozma. Ozma, this is my Uncle Flex."

The photograph in the hall flashed in Ozma's mind. Felix looked much younger then. However, he could see the resemblance to Howard. He shifted the pie to his left hand so that he can shake. "Pleased, to meet you, sir."

Felix firmly shook his hand. "And I as well." Then his nose twitched. "Dare I guess that there is pineapple pie in that box?"

"Er... yes..."

"Then it is best to have it while it's fresh. Kitty Cat, where can we partake of this dessert?"

Cathy was confused about her uncle's sudden change of plans. "Ah, let's go to the sitting room. I'll ask Murine to serve us."

They gathered in the sitting and soon, each received a slice of pie. Murine poured Ozma's zencoffee from his thermos into their cups.

"This is an excellent brew, Ozma," remarked Felix as he sipped the coffee.

"Thank you, sir." He did not touch his slice and instead, watched Felix warily.

"I did not catch your last name."

"It's Lee, sir. Ozma Lee."

"Ozma Lee..." repeated Felix. "Now, Ozma, how did you meet my niece?"

Cathy did not like how this was going. Ozma seemed very tense, like an animal cornered by a predator. Her Uncle Flex was firing questions like a court prosecutor, candid yet imposing. Before she could think of a way to break the ice, Erenmeyer came in and whispered in her ear that Lehr was on the phone. Regretfully, she had to leave them alone.

"I'm sorry, but I have to take a call. I'll be back as soon as I can." As she exited the room, she prayed that nothing serious would happen.

Ozma patiently answered Felix's questions. The first batch was about his history with Cathy. He responded as discreetly as possible and tried to avoid revealing how intimate their relationship was then and now. The next batch of questions was about himself.

"A pilot... and still enlisted in NUNS?" asked Felix.

"Yes, sir."

"This is a problem. Although she is several levels above in the chain of command, ultimately, it is the consequence of her decision as Commander-in-Chief that will send you to certain death."

"Only if she's the president, sir."

His deep-set brown eyes looked at him intently. "I see... you're aware of her efforts to convince me to run for office. I must tell you that we have reached an understanding."

Ozma's voice rose with hope. Cathy would no longer suffer the stress of the presidency. "Then you'll do it?"

"No."

He banged his fist on the coffee table, causing the cups to clank on their saucers. "But you gotta! I've watched the hearings on public TV and they're tearing into her like a pack of wolves! Are you gonna let 'em do that?"

"It is expected. There will always be opposition and disagreements. Every politician must learn to deal with it."

"Well, it's breakin' her heart! She's not ready!" If she remained in politics, it would turn her into one of them. Felix had to be convinced.

"If not now, then when?"

"When...?" The question drew fear into his heart. "You're gonna encourage her to remain in politics? To live her life among conniving..."

Before he could finish, Felix interrupted sternly. "You make us sound like heartless jackals. I assure you that quite a good number of senators are men AND women of integrity."

"Sorry, I didn't mean you, of course, which is why I'm asking you to reconsider..."

"It's alright, Ozma," said Cathy as she walked into the room. "Uncle Flex and I talked about it already. I'll tell you later, ok?"

She sat down and picked up her slice. "Now then, let's put politics aside. What were you two talking about before?"

Felix leaned back and steepled his fingers. "Oh yes... Ozma was not clear about certain things. He mentioned that he escorted you after the Miss Macross parade, but if I recall, Howard complained that you did not come home until 1 AM that evening. A proper escort would bring his charge home after festivities were over, but such was not the case. Perhaps, you could enlighten me."

The piece of pie slid off her fork. Ozma shifted uneasily in his seat. Silently, she cursed at his big mouth. Quickly, she prepared an excuse and hoped that she would not reveal anything embarrassing for the rest of the evening.

* * *

Sheryl closed her eyes and tried. The link remained cold and silent. Ever since last Friday, she tried contacting Ranka by link or by phone. Nanase was not having much luck either in trying to figure out what happened between her, Ozma and Brera.

She gingerly touched her shoulder. It was still sore, but she was able to move it more freely. Reaching over her head, she picked up the digipad and reviewed the shoulder exercises. As she did some exercises, she hoped that it would feel well enough to use tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Eriko met with Kanagi in the common room. "What's going on with Pink? She's been really down since Friday and last I heard she's been training like a maniac."

"W-well... she probably misses her b-boyfriend..." said Kanagi.

"Did she tell you anything when she was out last Friday?"

"S-she didn't say much," replied Kanagi evasively. "She just told me that she was on her way back."

Deep blue eyes stared at the green-haired meltran. "Why do I get the feeling that you aren't going to tell me?"

Kanagi swallowed and strengthened her will against those probing eyes. She promised Sheryl after all. "I-I really don't know anything about her boyfriend."

"Hmmph. If that's all there is to it, then I won't pry anymore. But if you ever change your mind, I'd like to hear it."

"I-I'll tell you if I find out m-more."

"Thanks."

The captain turned and left the room. At her exit, Kanagi exhaled in relief. However, as she walked to the bathroom, she could not help but wonder how Ranka was involved.

* * *

Motorized wheels whirring, Sheryl hurried. She was on her way to Ames field but Mr. Gamelin called and told her to report to shuttle port 10. There, she found a group of meltrandi boarding a shuttle. The instructor in charge waved her in.

"Hey, it's Pink! Over here, Pink!"

After enduring hours of yelling, she knew that voice instantly. She made her way through the shuttle and stood near Tadyana and Aris.

"How's it going?" asked Aris.

Sheryl shrugged. "Alright, I guess."

They exchanged news of their lessons. A quick trip later, the shuttle landed at large facility. Sheryl stared in awe at all the gigantic meltrandi walking around.

The redhead slapped her on the back. "Welcome to the MWA. I don't know why you're here, but you're about to get some special training."

Based on what she said, Sheryl realized that Tadyana did not know her goal for doing combat training. Her eyes wandered across the newly built buildings that were supposedly modeled after the destroyed original on Island-3. "I've always wondered what it's like."

Aris tugged excitedly on Tadyana's arm. "Here she comes."

Sheryl's eyes widened in recognition at the sight of Klan Klein. However, instead of her pilot's suit, she wore a traditional zentraedi officer's uniform. With her long red waistcoat, she brimmed with authority as she approached at a stately pace.

"Good morning, Mihoshi cadets," boomed Klan. "I welcome you to the Meltrandi War Academy. I am Klan Klein, commandant. Your combat instructor has sent you here on recommendation. Everyone of Meltran descent should proceed to the macronization chambers. After you macronize, you will be assigned a proctor who will oversee your training. Everyone else, please follow instructor Rora."

Sheryl and two other girls followed a micronized Rora to a waiting room. Rora gestured at the chairs and stools.

"Please wait here until you are called." Then she exited through a door at the other end of the room.

Sheryl made a study of her rifle while she waited. Overt glances at the other girls indicated that they were watching her discreetly too.

About five minutes later, Rora opened the door. "Cadet Nome, please follow me."

Sheryl obeyed and followed her through another room. Then she was admitted to a large hall, or in the case of a macronized meltran, an office. In particular, she stood on a platform overlooking Klan's office. A light-projection monitor floated near Klan and displayed some data.

Klan leaned forward. "Gamelin said that you wanted to shoot a man down. What's this all about?"

"Exactly what he said," replied Sheryl.

"Aren't you getting ahead of yourself? You're just a first-year! You have time to practice your skills."

"I don't have time."

Concern flooded the meltran's face. "Is it the virus? You're not sick again, are you?"

"It's not the virus. I just need to defeat a man, that's all."

"Gamelin said that your opponent is very experienced. Who is he?"

"Do you have to know?"

"The more I know about your opponent, the better my chances are of being able to help you."

With a deep breath, Sheryl named him with all the spite in her being. "Ozma Lee."

For a moment, Klan did not react. When she did, she began to laugh. "Ozma? That's a good one..."

"I'm serious!" yelled Sheryl. When Klan continued to laugh, she tried to get her attention. "I'm not kidding!"

At Sheryl's expression, Klan composed herself. "Why go through all this trouble? Just ask Alto to do it for you! He's your boyfriend, isn't he?"

"Alto has nothing to do with this. I need to defeat him myself."

"Why?"

Her hands tightened on the rifle. "Because I have to..."

Suddenly, Klan's friendly tone changed. "Do I have to repeat myself, cadet? State your reason or leave!"

Reluctantly, Sheryl gave in. With all the bravado at her disposal, she declared, "I want to challenge Ozma for the right to date his sister!"

Klan's eyes went round. "What?!"

Sheryl repeated it more slowly. Klan leaned back and crossed her arms.

"Aren't you dating Alto?"

"No."

Klan cradled her head in her hand and began to laugh bitterly. Sheryl yelled at her again.

"It's the truth! Hey! Stop laughing!"

The meltran calmed down. "I'm sorry... I thought both of you were interested in each other." She sighed with a far away look in her eyes. "Another strike for me in the romance category..."

Then with a tone of a curious schoolgirl, the commandant asked, "Is he opposed to it?"

"Very. He thinks Ranka should date guys."

"Is she interested in you?"

Before Friday, Sheryl would confirm it without hesitation. "I... I think so... I hope she does..."

Klan nodded in understanding. "I get it. You're hoping that his approval will make easier for Ranka."

"Can you help me?"

She snapped her fingers. "Of course. Gamelin was one of my teachers, back in my cadet days. I'm happy to help his student." Her hands danced over a light-projected keyboard. On the monitor, data whizzed by.

"Yakk! Your combat scores are really awful. What's this? Ozma proctored your test?" She fell silent as her eyes read the data. When she watched the accompanying video, her face scrunched up as if in disgust.

"Ok, now that's low. I don't care if he's an officer, but he shouldn't do that to a first-year," remarked Klan as she watched. "Deculture! Where'd you learn to barrel roll like that?"

"It was luck."

Those green eyes bored into her. "Look, you're incredibly inexperienced compared to Ozma. If there's something, anything you can use to your advantage, I want to know so I can factor it into your training."

Sheryl told her the training with the Vajra queen. Klan listened with obvious fascination.

"A link across Vajra minds... this has possibilities... Hmmm... When do you plan to challenge him?"

"This Friday."

"You're really masochistic, aren't you? With your scores and the progress you've made so far, you don't have a chance to win. No wonder Gamelin sent you to me."

She began typing on the keyboard. "I need to talk to the other girls. In the meantime, Rora will show you to a training room. Get out of your suit and log in to the terminal. I've sent you access to videos and simulator records of Ozma. Watch them until I come over."

Sheryl bowed deeply. "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome. I'll be right with you when I'm done."

Rora brought in the next girl. Then Sheryl followed Rora to a large room with shelves full of various equipment and weapons. She did as she was told and watched the videos. Ozma was a very impressive pilot. Klan was right. The gap was wide. Her fists clenched tightly as she drew determination from within. She did not want to give up.

About thirty minutes later, the room's long wall split in two and slid to the sides. It revealed another large room with Klan sitting on a chair. She fiddled with a large zentran version of the recording system.

"Sit comfortably. Have you ever done mind battles before?" asked Klan.

"No," replied Sheryl.

"Assume that we're in battle with our suits. I'll describe my action. Then you'll describe your action. We alternate back and forth. Once we try it, you'll get the idea. Ready?"

"Yes."

"We start facing each other 300 meters away, out of range of our paintball rifles. I veer left, 20 degrees."

At first, Sheryl was confused. Klan was flying toward her firing arm. And then she remembered that she was supposed to be firing with her left. In this case, Klan was flying away from her firing arm. If she flanked her too far, then it would be harder to turn and fire at her.

"Yaw right, 10 degrees."

"Pitch up, 30 degrees. Climb 20 meters."

"Pitch up, 50 degrees. Climb 10 meters."

As the battle went on, it was getting harder for Sheryl to picture how far they were. Several moves later, Klan fired her rifle. Sheryl fired on her turn as well. They did about ten or so turns before the meltran declared a stop to the exercise.

"What did you notice about your moves?" asked Klan.

"It was getting really confusing," replied Sheryl. "I lost track of how far apart we are."

"Anything else?"

Sheryl could not think of any. "No, nothing else."

"You were just reacting to my moves," explained Klan. "Your purpose is to win, so your moves must get you to your goal. Let's try the exercise again, but this time, I'll describe why I'm doing it. Then you'll describe your action and your reason."

Klan repeated her moves. "Veer left, 20 degrees, flank your weaker side."

"Yaw right, 10 degrees. Pitch up, 10 degrees. Prevent flanking."

"And what else?"

"What else?" She was confused.

"You're trying to win, right? Do something to win."

Unfortunately, Sheryl's mind drew a blank. She stared at the floor helplessly.

Klan rubbed her temple in exasperation. "Don't tell me you haven't planned a strategy."

"I've been doing intense combat training since Monday!" protested Sheryl. "I haven't gotten a chance to think of one!"

The commandant waved it away as if it meant nothing. "Any kid in an arcade can shoot droids. You're up against a real person, so you have to outsmart him as well as outmaneuver him."

Her fingers tapped on the control panel and a screen was projected on the wall closest to Sheryl. Ozma's simulator recording began to play. A red pointer appeared next to Ozma's plane and traced the path of his approach.

"To give you an idea of some strategies, let's analyze how Ozma fights. Now watch his approach towards his opponent. Notice the steep knifing maneuver..."

Sheryl listened in rapt attention at Klan's explanations. As they went through each session, she began to get a better grasp of strategy.

They reviewed Ozma's records until lunch and a few hours after. Then Klan stood up.

"That's it for now. We'll do more mind battles tomorrow. Remember, don't just react. Anticipate his attack, and even better; force him to where you want him to be. Do that, and he's going down."

Her eyes rose up with determination and hope. "I will. Thank you very much."

Klan nodded. "Rora will send you to combat training with the human girls for the rest of the day. Fly however you like and shoot them down. In a real battle, you don't fly textbook."

A wolfish grin graced her face. "I intend to. See you tomorrow, commandant."

The meltran returned her grin and waved as she walked out. "Later."

Sheryl suited up and looked forward to some shooting action. After all those mind battles, her fingers itched to pull the trigger.

* * *

The next day, Sheryl met Klan again at the same training room. Before they got started, the commandant showed a picture of Hope on a roof.

"Is this your Vajra?"

"Yes."

"Can you bring it in here? Some of my cadets have noticed it, and it's distracting them. I don't want it to be involved in any 'stray shot' accidents."

Her eyebrows arched in surprise that Hope was noticed at all. She usually concealed herself very well. If the airbase knew that she was there, they never complained about it.

"Do you have a window that she can fly to?" asked Sheryl.

Klan went to a window and opened it. Then she took out a handkerchief and tied it to the window latch. "Tell it to come here."

"Ok. Just a minute..." Sheryl opened her mind to Hope. Within minutes, Hope flew in. Klan's eyes watched the green alien warily. In her macronized form, the commandant's caution felt strange since she was large enough to hold Hope in her palm and crush her. After the Vajra landed next to her caretaker, the meltran retrieved her handkerchief.

They began their first mind battle. After the third one, Klan leaned back with a pleased expression.

"You've gotten better. I can tell that you're beginning to see several moves ahead. However, it's still not enough. You need to level the playing field. As the challenger, you can state the terms of the duel so that it works to your advantage. As long as it sounds fair, Ozma will accept it. Is there anything you can do to give yourself another edge?"

Sheryl slumped back into her chair and stared at the floor. In the uncomfortable silence, her mind tried to think. As she thought, her eyes aimlessly traced the floor's wooden grain until they encountered a Vajra's green limbs. At that moment, Hope was preening her wings.

Just then, an idea popped into her mind. "What if... what if I have Hope be my wingman? Will he accept that?"

"Hope? Who's that?"

"This Vajra. Her name is Hope."

"Oh... I didn't know that Vajra had names. And such an unusual name too."

Sheryl cleared her throat and repeated her question while pointing to Hope. "So what if she helps me? Will he agree to that?"

The meltran leaned back in thought for a few seconds. "He might... especially if you argue that he's more experienced than you. Sort of appeal to his ego. But even if he agrees, how will Hope help you?"

"She'll be my wingman. With her claws, she can fire a rifle."

"Does she have combat experience?"

Sheryl bowed her head. "Umm... no, but I can tell her what to do."

"Hmm... Are you sure that you can handle flying and communicating at the same time? Tsk... There's no time to speculate. It's probably best to try this out." Klan picked up the phone and punched some numbers. She spoke to Rora and gave instructions. When she was done, she told Sheryl hers.

"Suit up and meet us on practice field C. Take Hope with you." A screen projected on the wall and showed her current location and field C. Then Klan stood up and left.

A few minutes later, Sheryl found the field. Klan and Rora were already there. To her surprise, Rora unlocked her right shoulder joint. Then she handed Hope a sleek rifle and walked to the opposite side of the field where she catapulted herself into the sky.

"Ok, show me what you can do," said the commandant.

Sheryl did the same and faced her opponent. She shifted the rifle to her right hand. Although she was getting used to shooting with her left and even passed level 5 yesterday, it felt more comfortable with her right. Then she opened her mind to Hope and projected her thoughts.

She and Hope circled wide for a pincer attack and tried to trap Rora. However, Rora climbed and dodged. They chased her through the sky and tried to shoot her down. When they finally had her cornered, they fired at the same time and heard the satisfactory sound of paintballs splattering.

"Not bad," came Klan's voice in her helmet. "Prepare for round two."

Sheryl looked across the field to see Rora pick up a rifle on top of Klan's upturned palm. On the commandant's signal, they began a new battle. This time, she and Hope were dodging half the time. Rora was very skilled.

At the end of several consecutive scissors maneuvers, Sheryl had Rora in her sights. She aimed and fired. However, Rora reversed her engines and pitched backwards. The bullets passed her harmlessly and splattered right onto Hope.

To her chagrin, the HMD declared Hope as eliminated. Klan's chuckle broke through the helmet's speakers.

"Looks like you need to work on your strategies, AND concentrate on where your wingman is. Don't forget to avoid friendly fire. I've seen enough. Come back to the training room and we'll talk it through. Then you and Rora can practice some more. Also, I recommend staying tonight. I'll tell Gamelin."

Gratitude rose in her heart at Klan's efforts to help. She blinked the tears brimming in her eyes. "Thank you... Thank you very much!"

* * *

Cathy rushed to the gate. She made it in time to see Felix walking to the flight's boarding gate.

"Uncle Flex!"

Felix turned around. His plan to leave discreetly failed. For now, he tried to act surprised. "Kitty Cat! Shouldn't you be at City Hall?"

Cathy took several deep breaths. "Same... to... you... Why are you... leaving? The voting's tomorrow..."

His misty eyes stared longingly towards the horizon and his voice was wistful. "By the time I get back, one month would've passed since I last saw your Aunt Cire. Don't you think she'll be lonely?"

Then his tone changed back to his usual formal, businesslike style. "Besides, I don't think I should vote, given the circumstances. I'm your uncle, after all."

"But the constitution... it hasn't passed yet! There are still some odds and ends..."

"Which you can take care of, I'm sure. You've got good people supporting you."

"How can you be sure about that?" asked Cathy dubiously.

"Lehr's with you. So learn as much as you can from him. You've got good people in your cabinet as well. And besides... the pineapple pie was good. You're not alone in this." He winked with the last statement.

His words assured her insecure heart. Her eyes rose with courage as she walked up and hugged him. "Thank you for everything and give my best to Auntie Cee. Have a nice trip, Uncle Flex."

"I will. You take care, kitty Cat." He let go and walked through the gate without a second glance. As the door closed behind him, he hoped that he could come again. "I'm looking forward to your world on my next visit, kitty Cat."

* * *

Pilots milled about, some euphoric, some despondent. For third-years, boot camp was a big chance to improve their ranking. From the faces of some students, one could guess who were successful and who were not.

A lot of students had already packed and were headed for the shuttle ports to catch a ride back to the main city. Strangely, one lone pilot waded against the tide. For Sheryl Nome, the last day of camp was not over yet.

Immediately after returning from the MWA, she made her way to Moffett field where the VF-19 training was held. As soon as she saw Ozma, she rolled over to him.

"Major Lee, may I have a word with you privately?"

"What's this about?" asked Ozma brusquely.

"Ranka."

He nudged his head to the left. "C'mere."

Sheryl followed him away from the other instructors and pilots. When they were out of earshot, he turned to her.

"What do you want?" asked Ozma.

"I want permission to date Ranka."

He snorted. "After what you did to her? You gotta be kidding. Besides, you're a girl."

"Alright, I admit that I made a mistake. So I'm asking properly now. Please let me date her!"

"Which part of 'you're a girl' didn't you understand?"

"That doesn't matter nowadays."

"Cut the crap! She worshipped you... trusted you... and you fuck her first chance you get! I haven't protected and raised her all these years so you can corrupt her! Face it."

He enunciated the next three words slowly. "You're. A. Girl. You're not strong enough to protect her! You need to be saved yourself! Give up and let Alto take care of her!"

Those sky blue eyes hardened. "So if I can prove that I can protect her, you'll agree?"

"You're saying that you could? I've seen your combat scores!"

"Yes, I am. If I shoot you down, would that be enough?"

"You and what army?"

"Just me and Hope versus you, standard air duel rules. If I shoot you down, then let me date her."

Ozma crossed his arms. "And if I win?"

Her throat felt dry as she stated the worst outcome. "I'll withdraw from Mihoshi and never see Ranka again."

"This girl doesn't know what she's getting into. She's practically asking me to win," thought Ozma. In his mind, he could already see her weeping in defeat.

He pointed at her and jeered. "Remember what you said. If you don't do it, I'll make sure that you do."

"Please meet me at Ames field in thirty minutes." With that said, she wheeled away to prepare.

After borrowing a flight suit, Ozma made his way to Ames field. To his surprise, Luca was manning the recording station. Meanwhile, Sheryl had mounted the catapult and waited to launch. Up in the sky, a Vajra flew with a rifle in its claws.

"What're you doing here?" asked Ozma.

"Sheryl asked me to referee," replied Luca.

Whether a witness was there or not did not matter. He was going to win anyway. He went to the opposite side of the field and mounted the catapult.

Luca's instructions were broadcasted to their HMDs. A timer counted down for the launch: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Catapults fired and launched the combatants in the air.

As soon as she became airborne, Sheryl began to sing.

_ Turn the stars at the center of the world.  
If you sneeze, a butterfly in a forest somewhere will dance.  
The door you guard has a useless key.  
It's an embarrassing story.  
Though they often lick one another, lions are strong._

_I want to survive.  
I want to survive.  
I still can't stop wanting to live.  
Guided by the constellations, our eyes met.  
_  
The wind carried her voice to Ozma's ears. "What in space is she doing?" In the distance, Hope's belly glowed. "Shit! She's powering it up! I gotta stop her before she goes too far..."

He punched the engine at full throttle and was surprised at his speed. He was not accelerating as fast as he ought to. After checking the HMD readings, he realized why. Those dinners with Cathy and their late night snacking had taken its toll. He cursed himself several times. For now, he had to compensate for the weight gain.

Methodically, he watched the distance on his HMD. He would take out the Vajra and then finish her off. When he closed the distance to 200 meters, he braced his rifle and aimed.

After a few shots, he realized that the Vajra was very fast and the strong headwind caused a large deflection. He had to be closer to compensate for the bend in the bullet trajectory.

A barrage of bullets whizzed by from behind. It was probably her. To his surprise, she was using her right arm. She probably was not as injured as he thought. He noted her location on the radar and kept his distance at 100 meters for enough room to react and dodge. With a burst of acceleration, he went after the Vajra once more.

Despite the distance, the Vajra was still able to evade him. Its belly glowed again. Ozma changed his plans and circled about to focus on the Galaxy Fairy instead. To his surprise, Nome was not attacking. Instead, she was flying away.

Ozma gave chase. Although the rules of the duel allowed them fly as high as they dared, they were restricted to the boundaries of Ames field. She would have to circle back. When he was within firing distance, he aimed.

Suddenly, his radar flashed red and he immediately broke his pursuit. Bullets sailed over where he once was. The Vajra had its rifle pointed at him.

"Damn bug!" roared Ozma in anger at the interruption. He fired back and gave chase once more. This time, the Vajra did not fly as fast. As he wondered why, another set of bullets flew by his left flank. He dodged away to put some distance.

The tables turned as Nome and the Vajra chased him through the sky. As they climbed, vapor trails formed from their wingtips. When he saw the pattern of the trails, he realized it.

"What the fuck?! They're using Planet Dance!" yelled Ozma in anger. Who could have taught it to them? At that moment, Luca's face popped into his mind. If he did it, he was going to assign him to night patrol for two weeks.

He hated to admit it, but the Vajra was an excellent wingman in terms of speed and reliability. It was there when Nome needed a diversion, and switched to offense when he chased her. To his chagrin, their coordination and timing were as good as an experienced team.

"Is she controlling it with her crazy singing!?" thought Ozma as he did a Wing Over. He wished that he could do something to make her shut up.

Even more disturbing was their tactical effectiveness. Despite his aggressive attacks, they answered back with countermeasures that kept him at a disadvantage. He was forced to break off his attack and retreat. It was as if they had already anticipated his response and automatically changed strategies on the fly. If her aim was better, he might have been shot down by now. He shuddered at the thought. Whoever coached her did a good job.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ranka and Brera arrived at the airbase. They asked an instructor where Ozma and Sheryl were.

"Last I saw, they were talking out in Moffett field," said Mr. Neumann.

As they walked there, faint notes reached Ranka's ears, or rather, her mind. She stopped and listened more carefully.

_ ...stop prowling,  
And settle down next to you bashfully.  
Until I show you my true self,  
I will not sleep._

_I want to survive.  
Even as a nobody.  
I love you.  
The lives waiting for awakening were drawn to one another.  
_  
"Sheryl!" cried Ranka.

"Where?" asked Brera.

Ranka concentrated and tried to feel her presence. Sheryl was not in the direction of Moffett field. She turned around and began to walk. "She's... she's not over there! She's somewhere else!"

_ In place of my wildness,  
I shall offer a prayer.  
I love you.  
Constellations, please guide me...  
_  
Alarm whipped through her heart. That usual confident voice sounded desperate. A sinking feeling churned in her stomach. Sheryl was doing something reckless. She began to run.

"Ranka!"

Her brother forgotten, Ranka only had one thing on her mind. She had to go to Sheryl.

* * *

As they wove through the sky attacking and defending, he recognized other ones: Seventh Moon, Love Heart and Diamond Calling. He taught those formations to the squadrons assigned to Macross Quarter. Feelings of betrayal fueled his anger.

"I'll be damned if she gets me with my own techniques!" It was time to get serious. He climbed and banked steeply. At the apex, he reversed the engines and plummeted down.

"Spiral Answer!" yelled Ozma as he spun in a corkscrew while firing away. He still had techniques that he did not teach to anyone.

As he dove, Nome hastily retreated. However, she did not expose her flank and managed to dodge despite the barrage of bullets.

Using the momentum of the spin and additional thrust from the engine, he accelerated towards her with swept wings. For a few seconds, the resulting speed was almost the same as her Vajra. Despite the time limit, those few seconds were long to get her within 30 meters. At that distance, there was no way she could dodge all his shots. He braced his rifle and aimed.

Instead of hitting his target, the Vajra swooped down and with its rifle extended, deflected his bullets. The block gave Nome the opportunity to dive away. However, the action came with a price. The Vajra could no longer fire. The activation light on the rifle blinked off.

Ozma took the opportunity to shoot down the blasted creature but missed. After several attempts, he decided that he was wasting bullets and focused on his original quarry once more.

Without the Vajra, there were no more interruptions. Ozma thought that it would be easier, but Nome still managed to dodge him. Then he noticed how often she changed her wing configurations and the sharp turns that she made.

"She's flying like them... so that's why!" Then he grinned wolfishly. "Fly all you want... but in the end, you're still human. The G-forces will wear you out. You can't keep it up!"

He chased his prey patiently and maintained a higher altitude to keep his back to the mid-afternoon sun. Sooner or later, Nome was going to make a mistake.

His chance came when Nome pointed her rifle up towards him. All the sudden, the rifle slipped and her right wing retracted. She spun around with the rifle clutched to her chest with her left arm.

He dove and fired. However, instead of hitting Nome, the Vajra swooped down and blocked his shots with its rifle. Ozma cursed. Since he did not officially shoot it down, it was still included in the duel.

When he aimed at it, it flew away. Ozma focused on his prey again. The sunlight reflected off Nome's visor, indicating that she was staring into the sun. She raised her rifle with her left arm unsteadily. With the sun behind his back and her pathetic left-handed shooting, it was a futile attempt.

"It ends now!" He aimed and pulled the trigger. The bullets sped towards Nome and hit.

Just then, purple paint splattered on his suit. He stared at himself and then at Nome. She was covered in red paint.

Was it luck that she was able to hit him? As he wondered how, a buzzing sound reached his ears. He looked behind him and saw that the Vajra hovered nearby.

His eyes widened in disbelief. "Don't tell me... it helped her aim?!"

With a battle cry, he charged at it with the butt of his rifle. It dodged away nimbly. He climbed into the sky and chased it.

Meanwhile, Sheryl stared at the red flashing letters on the HMD.

Shot down. Eliminated.

"Sheryl!" Luca's voice crackled on the helmet's speakers. "What's wrong!? You're falling! Sheryl!"

The wind whipped around her. She did not care anymore. It was over.

Another voice pierced through her consciousness. "Pink! Retract! Go limp!"

At the sound of that demanding voice, her fingers automatically pressed the wing sweep buttons. A few seconds later, she felt the impact on her back. Her eyes focused and looked up to see the vice-captain.

"What's wrong with you? Are you giving up just like that? That's not the Pink I trained with! Even if you lost, accept it and move forward! As long as you breathe, you gotta keep fighting!"

Slowly, Sheryl realized that the redhead was right. She may have lost this battle, but the war was not over. Today was a bitter setback, but tomorrow, she'll find another way to get Ranka back. She blinked away her tears.

"Yeah... give me a second to go level..."

Tadyana held her hands and she extended her wings. Her engines burst to life and she regained level flight.

"How'd you know?" asked Sheryl quietly.

"When you didn't come back yesterday, we got suspicious, so we followed you after you got off the shuttle. When we saw you with Major Lee, I had Aris hack into your radio system. Sorry about that... we heard everything."

The Galaxy Fairy sighed. "Didn't I tell you to mind your own business? And why'd you tell everyone else?" However, there was no malice in her voice.

"I can't do nothing when my wingman is in trouble," replied Red with a sly grin. She did not want to involve Eriko in her mischief, so she lied, "And as vice-captain, I'm obliged to report your status to the captain. C'mon. Let's land."

They flew down to Luca. Ozma was already there. However, her eyes were not on Ozma. They were focused on the person running behind him.

"Sheryl!" Ranka ran up to her and stopped abruptly. Her eyes filled with concern and those petite hands touched the red paint. "Are you wounded?"

"No," replied Sheryl. However, a part of her wished that she really was. Maybe, she would have been unconscious and would not have to feel the pain of disappointment tearing in her heart.

"It's from practice bullets," explained Luca. He sprayed the red areas with a white mist from a can. With a pat of his hand, red dust flew into the wind. "See? This stuff dries it and it dusts..."

Before he finished, Ranka hugged her fiercely. "You dummy! I was worried about you!"

"You were?" exclaimed Sheryl in surprise.

"Yes! If your friend didn't catch you, what would've happened!? You pushed yourself again, didn't you?"

For several seconds, Sheryl was dumbfounded. When she found her voice again, she asked, "Then... you're not mad at me?"

"I... I was a little bit..." Then Ranka bit her lip before blurting out, "I'm sorry I didn't answer! But I promise, I'll never doubt you again!"

Her words calmed her heart a little. Sheryl drew a deep breath to calm her nerves before she said it. "I'm sorry too... I... I failed you..."

Ranka drew back. "What do you mean?"

Her voice was close to cracking. "I... made a bet with Ozma... and I..."

Those red-orange eyes grew wide and her face paled. "What did you bet?" asked Ranka slowly.

Sheryl could not look at her. She replied softly, "For permission to date you."

That verdant head whipped towards Ozma who was staring at the recording console. "Ozma-nii...?"

"She didn't win," said Ozma gruffly. However, there was no joy in his voice.

"It was a draw," announced Luca. "She fired before Major Lee's bullets hit, so her hits counted. The rules state that the winner must survive after all the bullets hit. Since both combatants received fatal hits, the duel is a draw."

"If Nome didn't win, she said that she'd quit school and never see you again," declared Ozma.

"No..." Ranka walked over to him, trembling. "No... You can't make her... you can't!"

When Ozma did not reply, Ranka clenched her hands and stared at him coldly. Her voice was low and dangerous. "I hate you."

Ozma held her attacking glare. "You're saying that even after everything you know?"

Flame-colored irises did not waver. "Yes."

For several tense seconds, they stared at each other. Finally, Ozma looked away. "I didn't win either."

Ranka voice rose with hope. "Then... she doesn't have to quit?"

"Actually..." started Luca.

"One year!" declared Ozma, cutting Luca off. "She can date you for one year! After that, she fights me again after next boot camp."

He turned to Sheryl and pointed his finger for emphasis. "But no Vajra! It'll be just you and me, Skull-1 vs. Phoenix-5. We'll decide once and for all then. I took it easy on you today, but next time, I won't! So you better level up!"

Simultaneously, their faces flooded with relief. With a half-run, Ranka threw herself at Sheryl and the Galaxy Fairy hugged her, spinning full-circle with joy. Then Ranka wove her hand around Sheryl's neck.

Alarmed, Sheryl projected her thoughts. "Not here... we're in plain sight of a lot of people."

"I don't mind," replied Ranka who was rising on her toes.

"I do." They had enough excitement for the week and adding a scandal on top of it all was more than she can handle. Before Ranka could protest, Phoenix-5 carried the Super-Dimensional Cinderella in bridal style, ignoring the pain in her right shoulder. With wheels running at full speed, the engine flared and they took off.

After they had flown about fifty feet up, Ranka asked, "Is this good enough?"

With a whoosh, Sheryl's visor retracted into her helmet. "Yes."

A sweet smile bloomed on that adorable face and a warm hand caressed her cold cheek. Then silken, rosy lips landed on the Galaxy Fairy's.

It should be a kiss like those before. However, when those rosy lips touched her own, a shiver ran down her spine and Sheryl felt herself melt with each tender caress. It was as if she had forgotten her touch over the last three weeks and was experiencing it again for the first time. Somehow, she managed to activate cruise to sustain level flight and to lock the gears of the suit. Only then did she surrender herself fully.

Despite their meetings in the link, it did little to quench their longing for each other's touch. Ranka's hand pressed against the back of her helmet and those petite lips overwhelmed her with each expressive caress. They had kissed so many times before, but today, that simple action set her entire being on fire. Sheryl answered in kind, returning those expressions of love. Then that velvet softness brushed against her teeth tentatively. Sheryl recognized the request and granted permission for entry wholeheartedly.

In response, her Cinderella deepened their kiss with even more passion, probing, feeling, and tasting. The Galaxy Fairy's hands relaxed on the control sticks. If she was standing on land, her knees would have given out by now.

When she finally drew back, she found tears running down her beloved's cheeks. Then a slim finger reached out and brushed away her own tears. Despite the tears, there was no sadness in those sunset-hued eyes that gazed at her adoringly. Those rosy lips bloomed once more and her Cinderella's voice filled the sky with song.

Sheryl heard this particular song so many times before. But now, before the small group of witnesses below, it became a true declaration of love. Her heart overflowed with joy.

Meanwhile, Ozma watched them fly away. Beside him, Luca cleared his throat.

"Her terms were if she shot you down, not if she won the duel."

His hard eyes probed him. "How'd you know that?"

"She opened her audio channel to me so I can record the deal."

Ozma leaned over and whispered so that only Luca can hear. "Remind her and I'll kick your ass. I can't give all of Ranka on her first try! She's gotta work for it! And I'm not doing this 'cuz it's her. I'd do it to Alto too. 'Sides... somebody's gotta give her some discipline!"

Luca gulped nervously. "Yes, sir..."

Off to the side, the Phoenix squadron watched quietly.

"Now, that was totally unexpected," remarked Eriko as her eyes tracked the lovebirds in the sky. Her lips formed an amused smile when her keen eyes saw what they were doing.

"I-it's like a space opera," said Kanagi with a dreamy look on her face.

Feeling envious, Aris hinted subtly, "I wonder how it feels to be carried like that..."

Tadyana noticed the hidden message. She put her arm around her and pulled her close. In a soothing voice, she replied, "Next time, ok? They've earned their wings today. The sky belongs to them right now."

A playful zephyr tickled their ears with a faint melody.

Zoom, zoom...  
Zoom, zoom...  
My girlfriend is~~~ a pi~~~lot...

* * *

**Preview**

Ranka: This fic was mostly about you. It doesn't have my side of the story. *pout*  
Sheryl: *hug* Don't worry! The next one is about your boot camp!  
Ranka: Really!? *hair rising*  
Sheryl: That's right! Please join us again for the next Frontier Generations: Serenade!

* * *

Author's Notes:

It's done! Overall, this was a fun fic to write because of all the pilot research that I had to do. In the anime, the Pilot course is said to be hard, so I tried to show why, even though Sheryl was going to suffer through it. ( Sorry, Sheryl... (T-T) )

More She/Ran stuff on my homepage. Replies to reviews are in the forum.

Until next Deculture!


End file.
